A Thousand Years
by TheAuthor1996
Summary: When a young, 10 year old Rumplestiltskin meets 9 year old Belle, they instantly become friends. Their Friendship grows stronger and stronger over the years but it will be put to the test when Rumple's affections are won by the beautiful miller's daughter Milah. RumBelle AU
1. A Friendship Is Born

**Chapter One: - A Friendship Is Born**

Little Rumplestiltskin was walking home from Market with his Guardian, Maria. After his birth mother had died of fever during the early days of the ogre war when he was 8 years old, his father later abandoned him and he was placed into Maria's care.

Maria was a Spinner. She was a kind woman who treated Rumple as if he were her very own. She would comfort him when his childhood fear of darkness made him cry and she would always make him his favourite food; meat pie, when he had done a good days work. Rumple giggled to himself thinking of how Maria said he always worked hard so she would make him a meat pie most days.

On the day of Rumple's 10th birthday, Maria presented him with his own little spinning wheel. He always had to use Maria's spinning wheel when he helped her with the sheep wool so he was very happy when he came downstairs that morning to his special birthday surprise and he smiled brightly, running over to her and hugged her tightly,

"Thank you so much Maria" he said happily and Maria smiled brightly and hugged him back gently and knelt down so she was eye level with him,

"You're more than welcome Rumple" she said with a gentle tone and Rumple became bashful,

"Urrrrrm…. Maria?" he asked nervously and shuffled his feet a little,

"Can….. Can I ask you something?" he asked timidly and Maria smiled,

"Of course you can little one. You can ask me anything" she said gently and Rumple remained timid,

"I…. could I…. would you mind if I…. called you mama?" he asked quietly and Maria's eyes widened in surprise and they filled with happy tears and she wrapped her arms around him gently and hugged him,

"Yes… yes of course you can" she whispered and Rumple smiled and hugged her back,

"I love you mama" he said happily and Maria giggled as happy tears ran down her cheeks and she smiled brightly at him and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead,

"I love you too my little Rumple" she replied gently as they continued to hug each other.

* * *

Maria smiled as she glanced over her shoulder as she watched little Rumple walk behind her with a bored expression as he carried a little basket of remaining wool they had failed to sell at market. There was quite a bit of wool. Business had become small for Maria and she didn't have much money. Why was this? It was because of a little problem she liked to call, 'The Sherriff'. He was constantly upping her taxes, he picked on her because she was now a single mother.

She stopped walking and went over to Rumple and knelt down and smiled softly,

"How about this?... I'll take the rest of the wool home and you can go and get yourself some fresh fudge from the sweet store" she said get and placed two silver coins in his small palm and he smiled brightly as she took the basket and he giggled,

"Thanks mama!" he said brightly and hugged her before running off and she smiled gently as she watched him go.

* * *

Sometime later, Rumple giggled as he exited the sweet store with little brown paper bag of fudge and he instantly reached his small hand in to retrieve a piece when suddenly…,

"Gaston give it back!" said a girl's voice and Rumple looked towards where it had come from and saw a small girl, his age jumping up at a tall boy who was holding a book out of her reach and laughing with a mean smile,

"Awwwww what's the matter?" he mocked,

"Is the little baby gonna cry?" he said as he and his entourage laughed and the little girl pouted as she jumped trying to retrieve it and Rumple glared and stomped over,

"Hey! Leave her alone you big bully!" he shouted and when he realised what he had done and saw the grown up boy glare at him, he soon became scared as Gaston approached him,

"Oh you want me to leave her alone? And what? Are you gonna make me you little coward?!" he said angrily and Rumple shook with fear,

"I…. Errrrrm…. I…." he thought for a moment before glaring up at him and held up his tiny fists,

"Yeah…. Yeah I will. Now…. You better give her, her book back before…. Before I get really angry" he said with timid bravery and the little girl smiled as she watched the small boy stand up for her but Gaston and his friends burst out laughing,

"Oooooooo….. Oh please…. Please don't hurt me…. Here take the book have mercy on me" he said in mock fear holding the book out towards Rumple and when he reached for it, Gaston threw it behind him and it landed in the mud and his friends laughed louder,

"Come on guys there's got to be something better to do than this….. See you later coward" he said to Rumple with a glare and walked off.

* * *

Rumple sighed sadly and went and picked the book out of the mud before wiping it clean with his cloak and he looked at the girl timidly,

"I…. sorry I couldn't be bravery…. Your book's all muddy now… but I cleaned it as best I could" he said with timid guilt and the little girl giggled as she took the book gently,

"It's ok and….. I….. I actually thought you were very brave" she said timidly with a gentle blush and Rumple looked at her surprised,

"R… really?... well I…. errrrrm…. I…. I'm Rumple" he said politely with a bow and she giggled and curtsied politely,

"I'm Belle…. Errrrrm thank you….. For saving my book for me" she said gently with a blush and Rumple smiled, blushing himself as he shuffled his feet,

"You're…. you're welcome" he said timidly and Belle smiled softly,

"Errrrrrrm…. Rumple?" she asked quietly, becoming nervous,

"Do…. Do you want to be my friend?" she asked quietly and he smiled brightly before nodding,

"Yes please" they both giggled and Belle smiled brightly,

"I've never had a friend before" she admitted and Rumple smiled,

"Neither have I….. I guess….. I guess that makes us…. Best friends" he said timidly and Belle smiled and nodded,

"Yes! We'll be best friends forever!" she said happily and twirled around with a giggle and Rumple giggled too and held out the small brown paper bag with a blush,

"Would you like to share my fudge with me?" he asked timidly.

* * *

 **Gaston is such a bully :( me no like him.**

 **awwwwwwww how cute is timid Rumple? :D**

 **ok so character ages in this chapter:**

 **Rumple has just turned: 10**

 **Belle: 9**

 **Gaston: 12**

 **Maria: 25**

 **Review and let me know what you think so far :D it will help me update quicker.**

 **Next Time on 'A Thousand years':**

 **2 years has passed since Rumple and Belle first met. Their friendship remains strong and they're always there for each other but what happens when Gaston comes home from the knight's academy and resumes bullying Belle? Will Rumple defend her? Find out next time!**


	2. A Beauty's Birthday

**Chapter 2: - A Beauty's Birthday**

A 12 year old Rumple woke to the sound of the rooster outside and his eyes widened,

"Oh no!" he jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly and ran downstairs just as Maria was placing his breakfast plate on the table and she giggled as her adoptive son rushed passed her grabbing a piece of toast,

"Whoa… where's the fire?" she asked amused as he munched on the toast quickly and took a swig of fresh milk,

"No time for breakfast. Meeting Belle. It's her birthday today. I'm late." He said quickly as he finished his piece of toast and proceeded to put his cloak on and Maria giggled,

"Ahhhhhh I see…. The lady Belle" she said teasing with an amused smile and Rumple wined like a child,

"Mama! She's just a friend" he pouted and Maria giggled and fixed his cloak so it was tidy,

"I know. I know." She said with a smile and kissed his forehead and he grabbed one last piece of toast,

"No time. Gonna be late. Gotta go. Love you" he said quickly and kissed her cheek before rushing out the door and Maria giggled to herself,

"Three…. Two…. One" she said to herself quietly and as if on cue Rumple came running back in and back upstairs,

"I Forgot Belle's birthday present" he said quickly and Maria burst out laughing.

* * *

A now 11 year old Belle sat at the fountain waiting for Rumple and giggled when she saw him running as fast as he could towards her and he looked at her guilty as he caught his breath,

"Belle… I'm so…. Sorry…. I'm late" he said gasping for breath and Belle giggled,

"Actually you're early" she said teasing with a bright smile and Rumple's face went pale and Belle had to cover her mouth to try and hide her giggles and he couldn't help but smirk,

"Oh so you think this is funny do you dearie?" he said teasing and Belle giggled and shook her head, smiling brightly and started to back away,

"No…. No Rumplestiltskin don't you dare!" she tried to run for her it but he caught her and started to tickle her and she laughed brightly,

"Ok ok I'm sorry" she giggled and he laughed and hugged her,

"Happy birthday Belle" he said as Belle hugged him back,

"Thank you Rumple" she replied as she smiled brightly and he held out a small package to her with a bashful smile,

"Here….. I…. I got this for you" he said gently and Belle smiled softly,

"Oh Rumple…. You didn't have to get me anything I was just looking forward to spending my birthday with you" she said softly and Rumple smiled as Belle opened it and discovered a silver star necklace and she looked at Rumple stunned,

"Oh Rumple…. It's beautiful thank you" she said with a bright smile and hugged him and Rumple smiled, hugging her back but the moment was soon interrupted by a familiar yet deeper voice,

"Well well well…. Look who it is. The bookworm….. and the coward" said a now 14 year old Gaston who smirked nastily at the two of them, and he smiled when he noticed the birthday present in Belle's hand,

"Awwwww it's your birthday Belle? Well then I guess it's about high time I made your birthday wish came true" he said cockily taking a step forward and he pulled her forward and tried to kiss her but Belle pushed him away with an expression of disgust,

"Get the hell away from me Gaston" she said with a glare and he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders,

"fine…. Doesn't bother me and anyway why the hell would you want something like this?" he said holding up the silver star necklace and Belle's eyes widened,

"give that back!" she shouted with a glare and Gaston chuckled,

"Ok…. I'll give it back…. For a kiss" he said with a smirk and then looked at Rumple,

"unless… the coward is gonna get it back for you" he said mockingly with a chuckle and turned away and started to walk away and Rumple grew angry and removed his cloak and handed it to Belle, who looked at him with surprise as she watched him walk up behind Gaston, turned him around and punched him in the face causing him to fall to the ground, dropping the necklace and Rumple picked it up, glaring at Gaston,

"Leave my friend alone" he said firmly before turning to Belle,

"Are you alright?" he asked gently and Belle smiled as he handed her the necklace back but then she looked scared,

"Rumple look out!" she shouted as she saw Gaston throw a punch at him from behind and Rumple managed to dodge it thanks to Belle's warning.

* * *

Gaston glared at Rumple,

"You're gonna pay for that. You're a dead man Stiltskin!" he shouted angrily as he threw another punch at him and Rumple somehow managed to dodge it again and Gaston smirked at his scared expression,

"Come on then! Don't be a coward! Fight Back!" he shouted and Rumple looked at Belle who shook her head at him as she stood amongst the crowd that had gathered to watch them fight and Rumple looked at Gaston worried before reluctantly holding up his fists ready and Gaston chuckled,

"that's more like it" he said and threw a punch at Rumple who ducked but then Gaston threw his other fist and it collided with Rumple's face causing him to fall backwards, his nose began to bleed, Belle looked worried and cried out,

"Rumple!" she said worried but Rumple stood back up, holding his fists up once more and Gaston threw another punch but this time, Rumple managed to block it, grabbing his arm, turning around and used his free elbow to hit him in the face, giving Gaston a bruised eye.

The fight went on for some time. Little did Rumple know that the baker had seen the fight unfolding and had ran to get Maria.

* * *

Rumple now had a bruised eyes, a cut lip and a bloody nose. Whereas Gaston had a black eye and bruised cheek. Before Gaston could throw another punch, a man rode up on a black stallion,

"What on earth is going on here?!" the man said with an angry expression and Gaston ran up to him,

"Father. This coward attacked me from behind" Gaston lied and the man and the man glared down at Rumple,

"Is that so?. Arrest him" he ordered two men behind him but before they could grab him, Maria ran forward,

"No! please. Sherriff he's just a boy, he didn't know any better" she begged and the Sherriff smirked,

"Ahhhhhhh well if it isn't the beautiful lady Maria. Very well then I will spare your boy…. But you can expect another task increase" he said firmly and Maria sighed sadly before nodding,

"Thank you Sherriff" she said sadly as he lifted Gaston onto the back of his horse and they rode off. The crowd cleared. Rumple looked at his mother guiltily as Belle stood behind him,

"Mama?... I'm sorry. Gaston stole Belle's present and insulted her honour I couldn't…" he started but Maria looked at him angrily,

"Say your goodbyes to Belle. We are going home" she said firmly and Rumple sighed turning to Belle but couldn't bear to look her in the eye,

"Belle…. Belle I'm sorry….." he sighed,

"I've ruined your birthday…. I'm the worst friend in the world" he said sadly and Belle shook her head and wrapped his cloak around his shoulders gently and fastened the clasp and took a handkerchief with an embroider red rose in the corner out of her pocket and dabbed at the blood on his nose and lip gently,

"No. You're my best friend Rumple. You haven't done anything to ruin my birthday." She said softly, placing the handkerchief in his hand and hugged him,

"Thank you for my birthday present" she said softly as he hugged her back and they both heard Maria's voice from behind them,

"Rumple" she said in a firm tone and Rumple pulled away gently,

"Goodnight Belle" he said politely and followed his mother. Belle watched them walk away and said after him,

"Sweet dreams Rumple" she said quietly before walking home herself.

* * *

Rumple sat in the kitchen in silence as Maria cleaned his cuts with a clean cloth and a fresh basin of water from the well and he looked at her sadly,

"I'm sorry mama" he said quietly and Maria sighed, putting the cloth down and placed a gentle hand on his cheek,

"I'm not angry at you Rumple. I'm angry at the Sherriff and that son of his" she explained,

"I'm angry how the Sherriff makes me pay taxes I don't have and I'm angry how his son treats you and Belle" she said softly taking his hands in hers gently,

"My beautiful boy…. No matter how scary it may seem you will someday soon be a man….. And I'm not going to be around forever. So I want you to promise me that you will always make the right decision and always try to follow your heart" she said softly and Rumple nodded, a tear falling down his cheek at the thought of losing his mother and he hugged her,

"I promise mama…. I promise" he whispered, meaning every word as his mother hugged him back

* * *

 **~ 5 YEARS LATER ~**

Rumple matured over the next few years. He studied and worked as hard as he could. Paying taxes wasn't so bad. He upgraded his first spinning wheel into a bigger version so that he could make more thread from the sheep's wool and also do it quickly. Business was growing busier and busier as winter grew closer but no matter how busy Rumple was, he would always find time for Belle.

* * *

Belle would bring him a flask of tea, a cosy blanket and she would always stay and help him with his work until it was finished. She would keep the workshop tidy, read to him whilst he worked and she had even started to dye some of the threads so that they would be worth more at market. Belle was his best friend and he was always thankful for the day he met her.

* * *

The Silver Star necklace that Rumple had given Belle on her 11th birthday was her most prised possession and she never took it off. Most days when Rumple had a heavy work load; thanks to the Sherriff, Belle would sleep in the barn. Rumple protested insisting that she could have his bed whilst he worked but she smiled and said,

"I really don't mind Rumple. When I wake in the morning and see how the sun hits the straw, it always reminds me of gold" she said softly before bidding him good night.

* * *

As one year turned to the next and winter came around once more. Maria caught a mysterious illness to which the local doctor was not familiar and sadly. He could not cure. Rumple didn't leave her bedside for days,

"Please mama you have to get well again" he begged her and she covered her mouth as she coughed,

"Shhhhhhhh…. Everything's going to be alright Rumple" she soothed him gently,

"You have…. You have to be brave for me. Be the man that I am proud you have become. My beloved son. I'll always be with you. You just have to look inside yourself. For as long as you remember me, I'll never truly leave your side" she whispered and a tear fell down his cheek and he hugged her gently and she weakly wrapped an arm around his shoulder as she held him.

* * *

Within the next month, Maria passed away and Belle stood beside Rumple at the funeral and she took his hand in hers and hugged him comfortingly.

* * *

Belle made Rumple tea as he sat in silence at the table and she placed it in front of him gently and sat down,

"…. Do you wish to be alone?" she asked in a quiet, gentle tone and he looked at her slowly with his eyes red from crying and he shook his head slowly,

"No….. I….. I would like it if you stayed" he said quietly and Belle nodded and stood walking around the table and she hugged him softly,

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone" she said gently as she continued to hug him.

* * *

Belle became worried about Rumple over the next few months. He never stopped working, he always worked hard and yes it put money into his pocket but he looked exhausted but no matter how many times she tried to convince him to rest, he refused so she was around his cottage a lot, trying to lighten his work load.

* * *

One morning as Belle and Rumple span the wool into thread, there was a knock at the door and Belle looked confused but smiled at Rumple gently,

"I'll get it. You take a break" she said gently but Rumple shook his head and continued spinning, Belle sighed sadly before opening the door and there was an ebony haired woman was standing there and she smiled brightly,

"Is the spinner in?" she asked and Belle smiled,

"Yes he is but I'm afraid he's very busy…" she started to explain gently but the woman just barged past her and Rumple stood and his eyes widened as he looked at the dark haired beauty,

"Good evening milady" he said politely and the woman giggled, holding out her hand to him,

"I'm Milah. My father is the Millar, we just moved into town and I just simply had to meet you" she said happily and Rumple smiled charmingly and pressed a kiss to the surface of her hand,

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Milah. I am Rumplestiltskin. How may I be of service?" he asked politely and Milah giggled,

"Well as you know, winter is drawing near and I and my father are in dire need of some warm wool" she explained and Rumple nodded with a smile,

"Of course milady. That's no problem" he said with a warm tone and Belle couldn't help but feel a little bit sad that this strange woman had been able to make Rumple smile by simply barging into his home. Whereas all her attempts to cheer him up had failed.

Milah smiled brightly,

"Oh thank you so much. But…. Could I trouble you to deliver it as soon as possible? I need it by tomorrow" she said gently placing her hands on his shoulders, batting her eye lashes flirtatiously and Belle shook her head at Rumple gently,

"Rumple it's not possible the Sherriff already doubled your workload for the month if you were to take this task it would be almost tripling it and you're not getting enough rest as it is" she explained gently but Rumple was mesmerized by Milah's green eyes before finally managing to look at Belle and shook his head,

"Nonsense. This is but a small task and easily completed" he argued and Belle sighed sadly placing a hand over her eyes.

* * *

Rumple had begun to court Milah and Belle was happy that he was at least taking breaks from work. Belle had offered to watch the house while he and Milah went on a picnic but she actually finished a full day's work of spinning. She had fallen asleep with her head resting on her arm next that rested on the table, next to a bucket of dye she had been using to colour the thread.

* * *

Rumple had tried to thank Belle for her help the next morning but Milah had come by first thing and insisted that he and her go out to breakfast and Belle put on a smile and nodded,

"Of course, go on you deserve it" she said softly but before Rumple could ask if she was sure, Milah had pulled him out the door.

* * *

Belle didn't trust Milah one bit. She noticed how she would send Rumple 'subtle' hints of how she just had to have the latest jewellery and dresses and of course Rumple would instantly agree to her requests to keep her happy. Their courtship had now lasted two years and Belle was worried how much money Rumple was spending on Milah and how little he was earning for himself at market.

* * *

One day whilst Belle was watching the workshop for Rumple whilst he and Milah were out and she was cleaning, there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find the new Sherriff, Gaston, standing there,

"Tax day" he said with a smirk and she glared at him before walking over to the safe, Rumple had given her the spare key when she had started helping him work. She opened it and too her horror she discovered that it was empty. Rumple had spent an entire months' tax savings on Milah and she sighed sadly, walking over to Gaston,

"It appears Rumple forgot to store the taxes in the safe. He must have them with him but…. It's ok I have money at my own house I'll pay off the dept. until next month" she explained and Gaston chuckled,

"Fear not dear Belle. I won't take your money…" he smirked,

"But the necklace… well if you were to hand that over then… I will consider it payment for the next…. Let's say three months" he said and Belle's eyes widened.

She put a hand to her necklace gently and closed her eyes sadly. The thought of parting with it killed her but it would help Rumple out a great deal….. And Rumple was her only friend and he meant a great deal to her. She avoided eye contact with Gaston as she slowly removed the necklace and placed it in Gaston's hand and allowed a tear to fall down her cheek. Gaston smirked as he closed his hand around the necklace and left.

* * *

Belle was sat in front of the fire when Rumple finally came home with a big smile on his face,

"Oh that woman is amazing" he said as he retrieved a glass of water and Belle stood and looked at him,

"Rumple we need to talk about Milah" she said gently and Rumple turned, smiling brightly at her,

"Yes I know. I wanted to tell you first… I'm going to ask her to marry me. I just got back from asking her father for his blessing and he said yes! Isn't that great?" he said happily but Belle looked at him with a sad expression and he looked at her gently,

"Ok…. Come on. Out with it what's wrong?" he asked gently and Belle sighed placing a hand over her eyes before looking at him once more,

"Rumple…. You're my best friend. Please…. I… I just want what's best for you….. I just… I think Milah….. I don't think she's…" she started and Rumple smiled,

"Come on… You don't think what?" he pressed and Belle took a deep breath,

"I don't think she's right for you!" she blurted out and his smile faded,

"What?... what are you talking about?" he asked with a confused chuckle and Belle looked at him sadly,

"Rumple….. Can't you see?... She's just using you" she said in a sad tone and Rumple rolled his eyes,

"You're imagining things Belle. Milah loves me and I love her" he said firmly and Belle shook her head, stepping towards him,

"Rumple please just listen to me…" she started but he turned to her quickly,

"NO!... I am sick of listening to you. Always mithering me! 'You need to sleep Rumple, Please eat something Rumple'" he said in a mocking tone,

"Why don't you just go and read a book dearie?! It's all you're good at" he said angrily and his loud voice started her causing her to trip over the spinning wheel and fall backwards onto the floor and Rumple instantly came out of his anger induced trance,

"Belle?... Belle, I'm…. I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" he began trying to help her up but she pushed him away, standing up by herself,

"Just leave me alone Rumple….. I'm done….. Congratulations on your engagement" she whispered sadly and left, closing the door behind her and Rumple sighed sadly and sat down, putting his face in his hands. What had he done?

* * *

 **Fear not! this is not the end! i'm really sorry about the whole Rumple/Milah thing but it's all part of the story line. Don't worry #RumBelleForever!**

 **Please Review and let me know what you think 1 review= quick update, 2 reviews= Gaston getting punched in the face by Belle and 3 reviews= a quicker reunion for Rumple and Belle.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	3. Blue - Belle

**Chapter 3: - Blue – Belle**

Rumple sighed sadly as he looked out the window. It had been two weeks since he had last seen Belle. He didn't blame her for not coming to see him. He had been horrid to her and he could understand if she never came to visit him again….. But that wasn't going to stop him visiting her.

* * *

Milah had accepted Rumple's proposal in a heartbeat and he was overjoyed. Milah had started the wedding preparations immediately and it worried Rumple because she wanted a very extravagant wedding.

Rumple walked into the kitchen where Milah sat and she smiled brightly,

"Hello darling… just look at this veil its stunning and I simply must have it" she said with a bright smile and Rumple smiled with a nod and kissed her cheek,

"Then you shall have it my love….. I…. I'm going to go visit Belle" he explained gently and Milah went back to glancing through the wedding catalogue,

"Who?" she asked in a non-interested tone and Rumple smiled gently,

"She's my childhood friend…. She's very dear to me and I…. well the last time we saw each other we didn't part on good terms and….. I would really be happy if she attended our wedding" he explained and Milah nodded simply, still going through the catalogue, she wasn't really listening,

"Yes, yes of course dear. Could you bring me back some fabric samples? I need to make a decision before I go and speak to the tailor" she said bored and Rumple nodded with a gentle smile,

"Of course my love" he said softly,

"I'll see you later" he said before grabbing his cloak and leaving.

* * *

Rumple walked into town and before heading to Belle's cottage he stopped at the flower cart and bought some bluebells. This was a little tradition of his that he used to do. Whenever Belle was sad, he would buy her some and say "don't be blue belle" and she would giggle. It never failed to cheer her up. He prayed that it would still work.

* * *

He headed to Belle's cottage but when he knocked she didn't answer and he sighed sadly,

"Belle?!... Belle please…. I'm really sorry" he called out but then a passing neighbour stopped and smiled softly,

"She's not home I'm afraid" she explained gently and Rumple looked at her puzzled,

"Do you know what time she'll be back?" he asked politely and the woman smiled sadly,

"Errrrrrm…. I…. I'm sorry sir….. I don't think she's coming back. She came home two weeks ago, the poor girl looked like she'd been crying all the way home and then the next morning she was loading everything onto a cart and rode off." She explained and Rumple looked down shocked and shook his head,

"No….. No, No this can't be happening" he said sadly and sat down on the doorstep,

"It's my fault….. She left because of me. I was her best friend….. And I betrayed that position. I let her down" he said sadly and the kind lady patted his shoulder comfortingly,

"There, there….. Everything will turn out alright in the end. You'll see" she said kindly before smiling,

"Tell you what she did say she was going to pay her remaining taxes before moving on. Maybe the Sherriff can tell you where she went" she suggested kindly and Rumple looked up quickly and stood up,

"Yes!... Thank you Mrs….?" He enquired and she smiled,

"Mrs. Potts" she answered gently and he smiled brightly,

"Thank you Mrs Potts!" he shouted as he ran off towards the tax office.

* * *

Gaston smirked when Rumple came running into his office,

"Ahhhhhhhhh Mr Stiltskin. My favourite Coward" he mocked,

"What brings you here?" he asked as he put some more money into a pile and Rumple rolled his eyes,

"Have you seen Belle?" he asked determined and Gaston looked as if thinking,

"Belle?... Belle?... hmmmmmmm ooooooooo name rings…. Well a bell" he chuckled and Rumple sighed frustrated,

"Have you seen her or not?" he asked firmly and Gaston chuckled,

"Ok, ok don't get your thread in a twist spinner. Yeah I saw her about two weeks ago when she paid her final tax on the house she previously owned" he explained and Rumple looked confused,

"What?... did she say where she was going?" he asked desperately and Gaston replied with a bored tone,

"No….. She just paid what she owed me and then left" he said as he retook his seat,

"Oh but it's a good thing you're here actually…" he said, opening a draw in his desk and retrieving a scroll,

"The deed to your house" he said handing it over and Rumple looked confused and Gaston chuckled,

"When Miss Belle paid off her last instalment, she also paid yours off with some money she said she had been saving for a rainy day. Congratulations….. The house is all yours" he said and Rumple's eyes widened and shook his head,

"No, why on earth?... How could she even be able to afford that?" he asked surprised and Gaston chuckled,

"I believe it's because unlike a certain friend of hers, She is actually careful with her money….. And it wasn't actually difficult. She'd already paid off three months' worth of taxes on your property" he said bored and Rumple looked at the deed shocked,

"When?!" he shouted and Gaston sighed Frustrated,

"Urrrrrrr for heavens' sake! Two Weeks Ago!... With this…." He said, opening another draw and retrieving the Silver Star necklace and Rumple shook his head sadly,

"No….. No Belle please no" he whispered sadly and Gaston smirked,

"She didn't want to hand it over but….. Apparently someone forgot to store the tax money in the safe before he went out on his date" he said mockingly and Rumple glared at him,

"You planned it… You knew I was out with Milah and you knew Belle would be looking after my workshop and you took advantage of her kindness!" Rumple shouted angrily,

"Give it back! It doesn't belong to you!" he continued and Gaston shrugged, tossing the necklace at him,

"Fine….. But you owe me three months' worth of taxes" he said with a smirk and Rumple glared,

"Fine….. You'll have it next week" he said firmly and turned to leave and Gaston shouted after him,

"Give my regards to Milah!"

* * *

 **Ooooooooooo don't you just hate Milah and Gaston?! grrrrrrrrrr**

 **Ok so anyway in the next chapter it is forwarded 5 years and Milah has... *DRUMROLL* yes you guessed it. GIVEN BIRTH TO BAE! so now Rumple is a daddy but the marriage is not a happy one for Milah because there's not enough money for her liking and it's the last straw for her when she discovers Belle's necklace and takes a liking to it but Rumple refuses to let her have it and Milah is not usually told no so what will happen? Where is Belle? Will Rumple ever see her again? Find out soon!**

 **Lots of cute Aged 4 Bae coming in chapter 4 but you'll have to review to unlock the next chapter! :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	4. The Star From The Story

**Chapter 4: - The Star From The Story**

5 years had passed since Belle moved away and Rumple missed her every single day. There was a picture sat on the mantelpiece of them both as children, sat on the fountain in the village. He always smiled when he looked at it, he missed her so much. He hoped that where ever she was, she was ok.

* * *

Milah had given birth to little Bae a year after she and Rumple had been married and Rumple had been overjoyed. Milah had not been happy when she realised she couldn't have the extravagant wedding she had wanted in the first place. She had grown bored of this life. She went through her old boring dresses and shoes and sighed frustrated, picking up a shoe and threw it across the room. It hit a small box on the table next to her husband's side of the bed, causing it to fall on the floor and Belle's Silver Star necklace fell out and it instantly caught Milah's eye and she smiled brightly, picking it up and admired herself in the mirror, after she clasped it around her neck.

* * *

At dinner, Rumple chuckled as he tucked a napkin into his son's shirt so that he wouldn't get food all over him as Milah placed a bowl of soup on the table for him and her and some chicken bites for Bae and Rumple smiled,

"Ummmmmm it looks delicious" he said brightly and Milah sighed as she sat in her own place at the table,

"It's a shame we can't afford better" she said sourly and Rumple sighed sadly as he looked at her,

"Milah please we…." He started but then he spotted the necklace around she was wearing,

"That necklace…. Where did you get it?" he asked quietly and she smiled brightly,

"It's lovely isn't it? Finally I have something decent to wear" she said brightly but Rumple frowned and shook his head,

"No…. Milah that's…. that necklace belongs to Belle" he said gently and Milah grew angry and glared,

"It belongs to me. It's in my house. I found it" she said firmly and Rumple sighed and took a deep breath before saying,

"Take it off Milah" he said firmly and she looked at him shocked,

"Excuse me?" she asked in an angry and shocked tone that made little Bae cover his eyes and Rumple looked at his wife,

"It doesn't belong to you, it belongs to Belle. It was a gift I gave to her on her 11th birthday now take it off" he said firmly, finally standing up to her and Milah glared at him furious,

"You know what?! Fine!" she shouted and snapped the chain from around her neck and threw it on the table before storming off to the guest room and slamming the door with a loud bang.

* * *

Rumple sighed, it was times like this that he missed Belle the most. Little Bae tilted his head curiously and picked the necklace up in his small hands and he giggled,

"Shiny star papa" he said happily and Rumple managed to smiled before chuckling,

"That's right Bae. It's a star" he said as he picked his son up off his tiny chair,

"And…. There's a story to go with it" he said and Bae smiled brightly,

"Yay! Stowy time! Stowy time!" he giggled and Rumple smiled as he sat Bae on his lap as he sat down in front of the fire before beginning his tale,

"Once Upon a time…. There was a girl named Belle…. whose heart was as pure as gold thread…. And one day she met a young boy and that boy…. Was me. We both instantly became friends. The star necklace was a present I gave her on her 11th birthday. It was meant to be a symbol of our friendship. Belle was always there for me and I for her but then….. I lost your nana and your papa became very sad… Belle tried and tried to save me from the sadness that had me trapped but…. I just couldn't let go. Then one day, I met your mama and something about the time I spent with her made me forget the pain but….. I also started to forget about my best friend. I pushed Belle away and I regret that action with each passing moment. I searched and searched for her but….. I couldn't find her… but I know that where ever Belle is, she's safe and happy. Belle was always happy and she definitely knew how to defend herself" he said with a chuckle as he remembered one time of how she had punched Gaston for calling him a coward. Rumple reached for the photo on the mantelpiece and showed it to Bae and smiled at the image,

"You would have loved her Bae and I have no doubt she would have been very fond of you" he said softly and Bae smiled up at his papa,

"We wish that I could meets Belle one day papa" he said innocently and Rumple smiled softly as he held his son,

"Me too Bae….. Me too" he whispered

Neither Bae nor Rumple noticed how the necklace glowed for a moment within little Bae's hand.

* * *

 **Just wanted to thank: .kanobi for all their feedback and thoughts on the story so far. I promise I will take some of your suggestions into consideration and I'll try to make it work. This Chapter is dedicated to you. Your feedback unlocked it haha :D**

 **ok just to put everything into explanation so people understand:**

 **Milah and Rumple's Courtship: 2 years**

 **Rumple has been married to Milah for: 5 years and Bae was born after one year of their marriage**

 **so sorry for any confusion I'm terrible at maths and numbers haha :D**

 **anyway in the next chapter we'll see little Bae's wish come true. Yes that's right BELLE'S BACK! :D but with a very 'very' shocking surprise DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN!**

 **so to some up Chapter 5: Belle meets Bae.**

 **and Chapter 6 will tell all of what Belle has been up too in the last 5 years. :D oh yeah BELLE POV!**

 **so please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter haha :D**

 **Rumple has really missed Belle and really wants to say sorry for how mean he was too her so the quicker you review, the quicker they're reunited haha :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	5. Father & Son And Belle

**Chapter 5: - Father & son….. And Belle**

A month after telling Bae all about Belle, Rumple's son had been unable to stop asking about his childhood friend. Rumple had entrusted Belle's necklace to Bae, telling his son that he could think of no one better to keep it safe.

* * *

One day when Rumple and Bae came home from the market from selling the thread, Rumple discovered that Milah had left. He was sad for his son but Rumple had been expecting this for a while but he thought Milah would have at least have said goodbye to Bae.

* * *

Rumple and Bae were perfectly happy by themselves. Little Bae would help his papa carry the wool and thread into market and Rumple would always give Bae two silver coins at the end of the day to go and get some fresh fudge, just like his mama had done for him. Rumple sent Bae off to the sweet store whilst he packed their remaining stock away.

* * *

Bae giggled as he exited the sweet store with his bag of fudge but ended up running right into Gaston's back and when Gaston turned and saw him, he smirked,

"Well… if it isn't the son of the coward" he said evilly and little Bae pouted scared when Gaston knelt down to him,

"What say you share your fudge with me?" he asked and Bae whimpered, scared and shook his head quickly as he hugged the little brown paper bag protectively and Gaston smirked,

"No?... Well then I guess I have to begin a fudge tax" he mocked and chuckled as he snatched the bag out of little Bae's hands and Bae's bottom lip began to wobble,

"Hey! That's mine" he shouted trying to jump up and get it back but Gaston just chuckled but before he could speak, a female voice spoke from behind him,

"Do you make a habit of picking on innocent children?" said the voice and Gaston turned towards the Female who had the hood of her cloak up and smirked, speaking with a bored tone,

"This is none of your concern lady" he said rudely but his eye's widened in shock when the woman giggled lightly as she lowered her cloak,

"Oh I do believe it is my concern Sherriff" she said politely with an amused smile,

The woman's long brunette fell down her shoulders and a diamond tiara sat upon her head. A man in uniform exited the carriage behind her and came to stand by her side and stood tall,

"Introducing her royal highness, Crowned Princess Belle of The Kingdom Of Avonia" he said proudly and Gaston looked shocked,

"I….. My apologies milady" he said with a respectful bow and Belle held up a dismissive hand,

"Apology not necessary Sherriff" she said politely, holding out her free hand and Gaston placed the bag of fudge in her hand and she smiled,

"I shall not distract you from your work any longer Sherriff. You may be on your way" she said simply and Gaston nodded before bowing respectfully,

"Thank you your highness" he immediately left and Belle smiled down at Bae softly before taking a gentle step towards him and knelt down, holding out the bag of fudge,

"Here you go" she said softly but Bae was always cautious around strangers and Belle just smiled softly and held out her free hand for him to shake,

"My name is Belle…. It's ok the Sherriff won't bully you anymore" she said gently and Bae tilted his head curiously as he shook her hand gently and then he smiled brightly,

"Belle!" he said happily before jumping at her and hugging her tightly and Belle's eyes widened with surprise,

"I….. Errrrrm…" she hugged him back gently yet reluctantly due to her confusion and Bae looked up at her with a bright smile,

"My papa tolds me all abouts you…. And I kepts this safe for you" he said happily going into his pocket and retrieving the silver star necklace and held it up to her and Belle's eyes widened as she took it gently and stared at it,

"It….. It can't be…." She whispered before looking at Bae,

"You….. You're Rumple's….. Son?" she asked stunned but before Bae could answer his papa approached them confused but then his eyes widened,

"B… Belle?" he asked stunned and she looked at him quickly and they both stared at each other for a moment and Belle stood slowly after Bae ran over to his papa and hugged his side and Belle looked at her childhood friend with a sad expression,

"Hello Rumple" she said quietly and Rumple's eyes widened even more with surprise when he noticed Belle's growing Belly,

"You're…. You're pregnant?... Wait…. And you're a Princess?!" he said stunned and Belle nodded softly,

"Yes…. A lot of things have changed since I was last here." She said quietly, her sad expression never changing as she looked at him,

"My apologies Mr. Stiltskin but I cannot stay I and my friend Lumiere are travelling to the inn" she explained and the servant in uniform next to her smiled and chuckled,

"You're Highness, I am only a servant" he said politely and Belle smiled at him gently,

"Ahhhhhh but I still see you as a friend" she said kindly and Lumiere smiled with a bow of his head,

"Merci milady" he said politely before glancing at Rumple,

"Are these gentleman friends of yours your highness?" he asked curiously and Belle looked back at Rumple sadly,

"One of them used to be" she whispered sadly before stepping towards him and held the necklace out towards him,

"I believe this belongs to you Mr. Stiltskin" she said quietly and Rumple shook his head sadly as he looked at her,

"Belle no….. It's yours" he said desperate to see her smile at him like she used too. Belle looked at him sadly as she placed it in his hand,

"I don't want it" she said sadly before returning to the carriage as Lumiere closed the door as she sat down and a tear ran down her cheek and she closed her eyes sadly.

Rumple closed his eyes sadly as he watched the carriage ride away. Bae looked up at his papa sadly as he hugged his side.

* * *

 **Wow... So Belle is now a Princess and has a Baby on the Way?! Who's the daddy? Where is he? and Why exactly has Belle returned to her Home Village?! Find Out in Chapter 6.**

 **We'll learn exactly what Belle has been up too in the 5 years she's been away. Will she ever forgive Rumple? What will the Baby be? a boy or a girl?**

 **Didn't you just love how shocked Gaston reacted to seeing Belle as a princess? haha she really put him in his place haha :D**

 **Please Review to unlock the next chapter!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	6. Belle's Story

**Chapter 6: - Belle's Story**

~ 5 Years Ago ~

After Belle left her home village she decided to follow her dream of travelling. Eventually she settled down in the Kingdom of Avonia.

* * *

One day she was walking back from the well with a heavy bucket of water when a man on a horse raised passed her, spooking her, causing to drop the water and she sighed sadly and picked up the bucket, knowing she would have to walk all the way back to the well.

The man quickly got his horse under control and turned around and galloped up to her slowly with an expression of guilt,

"My lady I am so sorry. I don't know what got into him" he said apologetically and Belle smiled and shook her head gently,

"It's fine. You didn't do it on purpose" she said kindly and petted the horse gently and she giggled when he nuzzled her and the man chuckled,

"He likes you" he said as he dismounted and she smiled brightly,

"What's his name?" she asked politely and the man smiled,

"Chip" he said simply and she giggled as she petted him,

"It's very nice to meet you Chip" she said in a teasing tone and the horse bobbed it's head up and down in agreement and the man chuckled before smiling charmingly at her,

"Might I enquire about your name my lady?" he asked in a teasing manner and Belle smiled brightly with a slight blush,

"You may…" she began and started walking towards the well,

"Weather I give it to you is a different matter entirely" she said in an equally teasing manner and the man chuckled, following her and he leant against the well as she filled her bucket,

"Would you give me your name if I were to give you mine?" he said with another charming smile and she giggled,

"You'll never know unless you try" she said teasing and he chuckled before standing tall,

"My name is Adam my lady" he said with a respectful bow and smiled,

"Now may I please have your name?" he asked and she smiled as she retrieved her bucket and petted Chip gently before smiling at Adam,

"I don't know…." She teased,

"You're still a stranger…. What do you think Chip?" she said looking at the horse teasing and Adam chuckled as his horse neighed in response,

"Chip says the Prince of Avonia would be very honoured to learn your name" he said teasing and Belle looked at him surprised,

"The…. The Prince?... You're….. You're the Prince?" she asked stunned and Adam smiled, shrugging his shoulders as he nodded and Belle curtsied politely,

"My apologies your majesty…. I didn't realise" she said politely but he took her hand gently,

"No… no it's fine, please… You're….. It's like a breath of fresh air to meet someone who doesn't speak to me like I'm a future king" he said happily,

"Thank you….. My lady" he said softly and raised her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss upon its surface and Belle smiled with a gentle blush,

"You're welcome your majesty" she said gently and Adam smiled charmingly,

"Please….. Call me Adam. I do not wish to have any formalities between us" he said gently and they both laughed when Chip poked his head in between them and Adam petted him with a chuckle and Belle smiled at him,

"Belle… My name is Belle" she said softly and Adam smiled at her before speaking,

"I'm honoured to meet you Lady Belle" he said smiling once more before walking her back home safely.

* * *

Adam mounted Chip after seeing Belle safely to her door and he smiled brightly down at her,

"I hope to see you again my lady" he said politely and Belle smiled gently with a blush,

"I wish for the same your….. I mean….. Adam" she said gently and Adam smiled brightly,

"Then my lady….. Until the next time. I bid you goodnight" he said before riding off towards the castle and Belle smiled after him and whispered,

"Goodnight"

* * *

After three months of knowing each other Adam had asked Belle if he could court her and every day they would spend time together. Each date more romantic than the next.

* * *

Adam sent Belle a bouquet of long stemmed Red roses every week and they always brought a smile to her face.

* * *

One day whilst Belle and Adam were on a picnic, Belle reached into the basket and her smile vanished,

"Oh no…. I forgot your favourite dessert" she said sadly and Adam looked at her. He didn't like to see her sad and he smiled seeing a bluebell and he picked it and held it towards her,

"Don't be blue belle" he said teasing and Belle looked at him surprised and she smiled sadly at the flower,

"My friend used to say that…. Whenever I was sad, he would pick these for me and say 'don't be blue belle'" she said with a soft smile and Adam scooted closer to her and placed his arm around her shoulder gently,

"What happened to him?" he asked gently and Belle looked at him with a sad smile,

"He forgot me" she said simply and looked down sadly and Adam thought for a moment before using his finger to lift her chin gently so she would look at him and he smiled gently,

"Is there anything I can do to bring that smile back to your face?" he asked in a whisper and Belle smiled softly before glancing at his lips,

"I can think of one" she whispered back and he smiled softly, cupping her cheek and pressed his lips to hers.

It was Belle's first kiss and it was magical.

* * *

After a two year courtship Adam asked Belle for her hand in marriage and she happily accepted. They were married in the next three months and Belle was crowned Princess of Avonia.

* * *

After two years of marriage, Adam was crowned King and Belle was supposed to be crowned Queen a month later…. Unfortunately the ogre wars had grown closer to the borders of the kingdom and on the eve of their third wedding anniversary, Adam was called away to war.

* * *

Only after he left, much to Belle's protests, did she discover she was with child. A month later Belle received word from the front line that the king had fallen in battle. Her heart broke. The man she loved was gone.

* * *

The Royal physician feared for the Princesses health and decided at the last moment that it would be best for her to travel somewhere peaceful to deliver the baby. For some reason, and not even the doctor could explain why, he said it would be best to travel to the place she had grown up. It was as if by magic that the idea had popped into his head.

* * *

~ 5 Years Later – Present Day ~

Belle looked at the wedding ring on her finger sadly and allowed a tear to fall and she pressed a gentle kiss to it,

"I miss you" she whispered and she glanced out the window just as it began to rain.

* * *

 **Poor Belle :'( literally I loved writing her and Adam's relationship and honestly I've just cried as I wrote the end of this chapter.**

 **Bonus Point to anyone who can tell me why the royal physician told Belle to travel to her home village to have the baby! :D Hint: You'll have to go back to chapter 4. :D**

 **Please Review to unlock the next chapter!**

 **I would also like to thank the guest who posted some lovely reviews. I'm so glad you enjoy my stories so congratulations for unlocking this chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	7. Gift Of A Friend

**Chapter 7: - Gift Of A Friend**

Belle sat in a rocking chair in front of a window at the inn, gazing out at the village square sadly. She placed her hand over her growing Belly and sighed and smiled sadly,

"Your daddy would have loved you so much little one….. But just because we can't see him doesn't mean he's not with us. He's always in our hearts and when you're finally here I promise to tell you all about him. He was an amazing man and I loved him with all my heart and I promise to love you just as much little one….. No matter what happens, I will always be here for you" she whispered with a soft smile, placing a kiss to the tips of the fingers on her free hand and placing it against her swelling belly and she gasped and happy tears grew in her eyes when she felt her baby kick for the first time.

* * *

Mrs. Potts had agreed to watch Bae for Rumple whilst he visited Belle. He prayed that she would agree to see him.

He took a deep breath as he knocked on the door to the suit she was staying in and Lumiere answered with a polite smile,

"May I be of any assistance?" he asked and Rumple smiled,

"I….. I'm here to see Belle" he said gently and Lumiere smiled sadly,

"I'm sorry monsieur but I'm afraid her highness is very exhausted from her journey and…" he began but Rumple pleaded,

"Please…. I just want to see her…. I need to tell her I'm sorry" he begged with a sad expression and Lumiere sighed and thought for a moment,

"One moment" he said gently and closed the door, Rumple waited for what seemed like forever before Lumiere finally reopened the door,

"Come in but you cannot stay long" he explained gently and Rumple smiled relieved as he entered,

"Thank you" he said politely and entered the main room of the suit where Belle sat in her rocking chair. She didn't look up at him, continuing to stare out the window with a sad expression,

"What can I do for you Mr. Stiltskin?" she asked in a polite yet sad tone and Rumple instantly came to her side and sat on the chair in front of her own,

"Belle please…. I'm not Mr. Stiltskin. I'm Rumple… I've always been Rumple to you" he said desperately and after a long moment Belle turned her head to look at him sadly and shook her head,

"You haven't been him for the last 5 years of my life" she whispered sadly before looking back out the window and Rumple looked at her sadly and grabbed her hand in his gently,

"Please Belle…. I should have listened to you. Milah never loved me, she only wanted me for my money. She left me and Bae two months ago" he explained and Belle pulled her hand away from him and looked at him sharply before standing,

"You had to wait to see what she was truly like for you to finally listen to me… you had to wait this long so that you could finally….. finally see me…." She said as a tear ran down her cheek but she still looked at him angry,

"Five years ago you never so much as gave me a second glance. I was invisible to you! All you saw was her… and the sad thing is….. You only started to see me when I was gone….. The girl that tried to talk to you but was never heard. The girl that tried to reach out to you but you always pushed me away…." She whispered sadly and Rumple stood and tried to hug her but she pushed him away,

"NO!... Just go away! Just go away and leave me alone!... Forget about me….. You're good at that" she said as tears fell down her cheeks and a tear fell down his own,

"Belle…. I swear to you I 'Never' forgot about you….. Please…. I don't want you to do this alone…. Let me help you…. Let me make up for the years I let you down" he begged in a whisper and Belle didn't answer for a moment, refusing to look at him.

Rumple sighed sadly, feeling as if he had truly lost her and walked towards the door when she finally spoke,

"…. Milk" she said quietly and looked at him with an exhausted expression when he turned back to her,

"I'm suddenly craving milk" she explained and he smiled brightly,

"Of course! I'll be back as quick as I can" he said going to leave as she retook her seat in her rocking chair but she spoke again,

"And Rumple?..." he looked at her once more,

"I would love some fresh fudge as well" she said quietly and Rumple smiled softly as he remembered their first meeting and he nodded,

"Of course" he left with a spring in his step.

* * *

 **You know what they say "Happy Endings Always Begin With Hope" :D Belle may not have forgiven Rumple yet but she's letting him help her with her pregnancy but I'm afraid my dear reader that a dark cloud is in fact approaching. What do I mean? well you see...**

 **Ah ah ahhhhhh nope you'll have to keep reading to find out.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the neck chapter :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	8. Rebuilding The Bridge

**Chapter 8: - Rebuilding The Bridge**

Rumple took baby steps with Belle. He knew she was still angry with him and he didn't blame her. He would bring her milk, chocolate, fudge and sometimes a random piece of cheese depending on what her cravings demanded. He was only too happy to help her as she had helped him all those years ago.

* * *

Belle's belly swelled more and more with each passing day and she was tired most days so Rumple decided to bring her a picnic basket filled with things he knew would cheer her up.

She couldn't help but smile soft as she glanced through the contents finding amongst them a copy of her favourite book and some bluebells and she looked at him,

"You remembered" she said softly and he smiled,

"Of course I did…. The book you had when we first met and your favourite flowers" he said and Belle smiled at him awkwardly,

"Errrrrrm…. Actually Bluebells aren't my favourite" and Rumple looked at her surprised,

"What?... I… I thought they were" he said confused and Belle looked at him guiltily and shook her head gently,

"No…. I'm sorry. I like them but….. They're not my favourite" she said sadly and Rumple thought for a moment before taking her hand gently,

"Will you join me and Bae for a day out? I know Bae really wants to know more about my childhood and you 'were' a big part of that…. You're still a big part of my life and now I realise that there are things I don't know about you… because I never asked. In my eyes you're still my best friend…. I know you might not feel the same but….. Please give me a chance to earn that position once more" he begged and Belle thought for a moment before smiling softly and removed the hair clips that kept the tiara in place and placed it on the dressing table and she smiled at him softly,

"I guess…. Maybe it is time to take a trip down memory lane…. It's had a barrier up for far too long" she said gently and Rumple smiled brightly.

* * *

Belle smiled and took a deep breath and sighed blissfully as she walked with Rumple and Bae through the village square,

"You have no idea how nice it is to get out of that inn" she said happily and Rumple chuckled,

"I can imagine. I'm sure the life as crowned Princess is very tiring" he said gently and Belle nodded,

"… I'm sure it's nothing compared to what it will be like when I'm finally crowned queen after my baby's birth" she said with a quiet tone laced with a small trace of sadness and Rumple looked at her sadly. He didn't want to lose his best friend again but… he was going to make most of the time they had together for the next 7 months.

* * *

Little Bae giggled as he played hopscotch on the cobbles as his papa and Belle sat on the fountain and he giggled and ran up to Belle and smiled brightly,

"What was my papa like when he was my age?" he asked curiously and Belle giggled and smiled brightly,

"He was a lot like you little one….. In fact…." She stood and walked over to a spot behind Bae and smiled,

"I met your papa in this exact spot" she said happily and Bae giggled as Belle knelt down gently so she was eye level with him,

"You know….. Your papa actually saved me when we first met" she said with a smile and Bae's eyes widened and he looked at his papa,

"Weally papa?! You saveded her?" he asked with childhood innocence and Rumple rubbed the back of his head with his hand awkwardly,

"Well…. I don't know about saving Belle….. Her book maybe" he said with a chuckle and Belle giggled and smiled,

"No…. you definitely saved me…. The little lonely village girl who always had her nose stuck in a book. The girl no one ever understood. You saved me that day Rumple… You saved me by becoming my friend" she said softly and Rumple smiled before standing and walking over to her,

"I may have saved you once…. But you saved me so many times after that….. And for the record… That 'little lonely village girl' was the best person I've ever known…. She still is" he said gently and Belle smiled softly and a tear fell down her cheek,

"I've missed you so much" she said with a whisper and he hugged her gently for the first time,

"I missed you too" he said and Belle hugged him back tightly. Belle smiled and whispered,

"You never stopped being my best friend…. No matter how angry I was with you. I missed you every single day" she whispered and Rumple smiled as he hugged her for the first time in years.

* * *

Little Bae giggled and pushed himself in between them and joined the cuddle and both Belle and Rumple let out a giggle and a chuckle.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww I loved writing this chapter :D**

 **I love all the reviews this story has had so far. Please Review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **I love hearing what people like about the story and also what they like about the character, it helps me develop them throughout the story.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	9. Eleven Questions

**Chapter 9:- Eleven Questions**

Rumple smiled as he carried a sleeping Bae in his arms. Belle smiled softly,

"Awwwwwww…. He's a tired little knight" she said quietly, not wanting to wake him and Rumple smiled brightly with a quiet chuckle as his son snuggled his head into his shoulder.

* * *

Belle looked up and her smile faded slightly to an expression of awe,

"Wow….. It hasn't changed" she said softly as she looked at Rumple's cottage and workshop and he smiled,

"It was different for a while….. One special visitor has been away for five years" he said gently and Belle smiled softly as he opened the door for her.

* * *

Rumple put Bae to sleep and then sat with Belle in the living room after preparing them both some tea and Belle smiled,

"Ok then mister… you wanted to know more about me so I suggest twenty questions. You ask me 10 and I ask you 10" she suggested teasing and Rumple chuckled and nodded,

"Ok then….. 1. What 'is' your favourite flower? Seeing as I didn't know" he said with a chuckle and Belle giggled,

"Red Roses….. Adam…." She smiled softly as she remembered,

"My husband…. He used to send me a bouquet every week" she said softly and Rumple smiled gently,

"Where is he?... Let's make that my second question" he said but Belle looked at him sadly,

"He's….. He died….. He was…. He was called away to fight in the ogre wars two months ago" she whispered sadly and Rumple looked at her both sadly and guilty,

"Oh Belle… I'm so sorry" he said but she shook her head gently,

"No it's ok you didn't know" she whispered sadly before taking a deep breath and wiped away a tear that escaped and she stayed strong,

"Ok…. Next question" she said gently and Rumple nodded knowing it was too painful for her to talk about,

"Question 3. What would you like your baby to be?" he asked gently and Belle smiled softly, placing a hand over her belly,

"I really don't mind. I'll love my baby whether it's a boy or a girl" she said softly and he smiled,

"Alright…. Question 4. What is your favourite place you travelled too during the 5 years you were away?" he asked curious and Belle thought for a moment before smiling brightly,

"Ooooooo besides Avonia it would definitely have to be this castle I discovered in the North Mountains. It's completely abandoned but it was absolutely beautiful" she explained with wonder and Rumple smiled brightly,

"Wow that sounds amazing. Bae loves castles, dragons. Anything knight related" he said with a chuckle and Belle giggled before Rumple continued.

* * *

Rumple had reached his 10th question but he was struggling and Belle giggled,

"Are you having trouble?" she asked teasing and he pouted childishly,

"I'm thinking!" he whined and she giggled,

"Ok well then… I'll start my 10 questions then…" she started to think but then she pouted,

"Ok….my mind's gone blank" she said and Rumple chuckled before finally thinking of a question,

"Well I have my 10th question… Who…. Who's your best friend?" he asked timidly and Belle looked back at him and smiled softly after a moment,

"Rumplestiltskin" she answered in a simple soft tone and he smiled brightly,

"Same question to you" she said gently and he smiled brightly before answering,

"You" he said simply,

"It's always has been and always will be you" he said gently and they both smiled and hugged each other gently.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww How cute is Rumple and Belle's friendship :D lots of sweetness!**

 **Ok so in the next chapter we are forwarding ahead by 5 months where Rumple's feeling for Belle have began to blossom! :D**

 **Please Review to unlock the next chapter Your Reviews are the Key! You Have the Power!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	10. A Desperate Soul

**Chapter 10: - A Desperate Soul**

Over the next five months Belle spent most days with Rumple and Bae. She was happy that she didn't have to act like a princess around them both.

* * *

With each passing day, Rumple began to realise just how beautiful Belle was, both inside and out. It warmed his heart to see how kind she was to Bae and of how his son had become very fond of her. Rumple knew he was in trouble….. He'd fallen in love with his best friend whilst she was still morning the loss of her husband.

* * *

Rumple kept his feelings to himself. All he cared about was his son and Belle's happiness but his mood always lowered when the thought of Belle leaving after her baby was born popped into his head.

* * *

One day whilst Rumple sat with Belle and Bae in the meadow near his cottage having a picnic, Gaston rode up to them along with Lumiere and an extra horse without a rider and Belle stood confused,

"Lumiere?... What brings you here?" she asked curiously and he smiled softly,

"Your highness, I have some good news. We shall be able to return to Avonia sooner than we thought" he explained and Rumple's eyes widened as LUmiere continued,

"We'll be able to begin our journey back tomorrow morning at first light and Sherriff Gaston has generously offered us the use of his soldiers to escort us back safely" he said with a bright smile and Gaston smirked, deliberately looking at Rumple,

"Oh I'm only too happy to be of assistant with your journey home Princess" he said in a polite yet evil tone.

Bae's bottom lip began to wobble and he ran up to Belle and hugged her side gently,

"Pwease don't go Belle" he begged and Belle looked down at him sadly,

"I'm sorry Bae….. I have to return to Avonia….. It's my duty to my kingdom and my people…." She explained gently and lent down, placing a gently kiss on his forehead,

"You'll understand one day" she said softly and he pouted and sniffled,

"I don't wants to understand… I wants you to stay… I wants you here with us always" he said sadly before running in the house and slamming the door and Belle sighed sadly before looking at Rumple sadly,

"Tell him I said goodbye and that I'll write to you both all the time" she said gently and Rumple stepped towards her with a sad expression and took her hands in his,

"But why does it have to be goodbye?... I lost you once…. I don't want to lose you again" he whispered sadly and she hugged him gently,

"Please Belle…. Please stay" he begged in a whisper and she pulled back to look at him sadly,

"I'll send you word when the baby is born" she said softly before fully pulling away and Lumiere helped her onto her horse and she looked at her childhood friend once more,

"Come and see me off tomorrow?" she asked and Rumple nodded sadly,

"Of course" he said quietly and Belle rode off with Lumiere and Gaston remained for a moment and smirked evilly at him,

"Oh dear….. Well let's face it….. She was never going to stay with a coward like you" he mocked before riding off and Rumple looked down sadly.

* * *

Rumple sat in the living room gazing sadly into the flames of the fireplace after making sure Bae was sound asleep.

Rumple sighed sadly and placed his head in his hands when suddenly,

"Don't tell me you're going to just let her go like that" said a deep voice and Rumple jumped up to face the intruder and instantly picked up a fire poker to defend himself and the hooded figure chuckled,

"Who are you?! Get out of my house!" Rumple shouted firmly and the figure chuckled as he lowered his hood,

"Not so loud Rumplstiltskin…. You don't want to wake your son now do you? And as for who I am… Well…. I'm sure you can work it out if you think really hard" the stranger said with a smirk and Rumple looked at him cautiously before his eyes widened,

"You?"

* * *

 _*FlashBack*_

 _A 12 year old Rumplestiltskin wandered through the marketplace as he searched the stalls for a birthday present for Belle. He wasn't having much look so far when suddenly he knocked over a stool of trinkets due to the fact he hadn't been looking where he was going and he looked at the stall owner guiltily as he started to pick them all up,_

 _"_ _I'm very sorry sir" he apologise and the man chuckled and waved his hand dismissively,_

 _"_ _Nonsense it was an accident" he said simply before helping Rumple pick up the trinkets. When they were finally once again arranged neatly on the stool the man held out his hand to Rumple,_

 _"_ _Zoso's the name and peddling's my game" he introduced himself and Rumple shook his hand,_

 _"_ _Errrrrrm…. I'm Rumplstiltskin" he said politely and Zoso chuckled,_

 _"_ _That's a great name…. A good strong name" he complimented before continuing,_

 _"_ _Now…. May I interest you in anything?" he said, gesturing to the stock on his stall and Rumple looked before telling the man,_

 _"_ _I'm looking for a birthday present for my friend Belle" he explained and the man chuckled,_

 _"_ _Ahhhhhhhhh… A present for a girl. I have just the thing" he said before going behind his cart and retrieving a small box, He opened it and retrieved a Silver Star necklace,_

 _"_ _I believe this little piece will be perfect for your friend" he explained and Rumple smiled brightly but then it faded,_

 _"_ _It's perfect but…. I don't think I have enough money for something like that" he said sadly and Zoso looked as if thinking,_

 _"_ _How much do you have?" he asked and Rumple reached into his pocket and showed him two copper pieces and Zoso nodded instantly,_

 _"_ _Yes that's enough" he said and took the two pieces from Rumple's hand and replaced them with the Silver Star necklace._

* * *

 _*Present Day*_

Rumple looked at Zoso stunned,

"You're…. You're the peddler who sold me Belle's necklace" he said stunned and Zoso chuckled,

"Bingo… Now I come back to my original question: are you really going to just let her go?" he asked with a smirk and Rumple sighed sadly,

"I don't want too….. But I don't have a choice" he said sadly and Zoso chuckled,

"Of course you have a choice….. You can choose to either go and stop her from leaving or….. You can choose to let her go" he said simply with a smirk,

"Come on, that girl wouldn't have even come back if it weren't for yours and your son's wish" he said simply and Rumple looked at him confused,

"What?... What are you talking about? What wish?" he asked confused and Zoso chuckled,

"The wish you and your son made when you first showed him the necklace" he said simply with a wave of his hand and a cloudy projection appeared showing Rumple the exact moment,

 _'"_ _Me wish that I could meets Belle one day papa" he said innocently and Rumple smiled softly as he held his son,_

 _"_ _Me too Bae….. Me too" he whispered'_

The projection vanished and Rumple looked at Zoso stunned by his magic,

"I…. I don't understand" he said shocked and Zoso smirked,

"It's not just a necklace…. It's a wishing star. I knew you and your lady friend would be separated…. I knew exactly how everything would happen so when you and your son wished upon a star, you got exactly what you wished for. That's why the royal physician suddenly decided it would be best for your beloved princess to travel back here to have her precious little baby" he explained with an evil glint in his eye,

"Now I come to why I'm visiting you tonight….. I'm here to help you but my question for you is…" he began as he removed a twisted dagger from his belt,

"…. How far are you willing to go in order to make the woman you love stay?" he asked in an evil whisper with a smirk as Rumple looked at the dagger.

* * *

 **Uh Oh So the secret of why the Royal Physician suddenly decided it was best for Belle to travel home is revealed.**

 **Did anyone notice how the star necklace glowed at the end of chapter 4? ;) what a sneaky little writer I am haha :D**

 **What will Rumple's choice be? How far 'is' he willing to go?**

 **Find Out in chapter 11!**

 **Review to unlock the next chapter!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	11. Rumple's Choice

**Chapter 11: - Rumple's Choice**

Rumple had dropped Bae off with Mrs Potts after asking if she would watch him till the morning and she agreed but she felt a little worried because Rumple seemed different and not in a good way.

* * *

Belle sighed sadly when it was Mrs Potts who brought Bae to say goodbye to her,

"Did Rumple say he was coming?" she asked with a polite sad tone and Mrs Potts looked at her sadly and shook her head,

"I'm sorry your highness he didn't tell me what his plans were…. He just asked me to watch Bae until this morning but I thought it best to bring him to say goodbye to you" she explained gently and Belle sighed before kneeling down to Bae and she smiled softly,

"I'm really going to miss you Bae" she said softly and he sniffled before wrapping his tiny arms around her neck,

"I is gonna miss you too Belle" he said sadly and Belle hugged him back gently before placing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Lumiere approached Belle,

"The carriage is ready your highness" he said politely and Belle sighed sadly before looking at Bae,

"Goodbye little Bae" she said softly but when she turned, a strange looking man with gold scales for skin smirked at her,

"No need for goodbye's my darling Belle" the strange man said politely and Belle's eyes widened and she stood in front of Bae protectively but then her eyes widened in shock,

"R…. Rumple?... What….. What happened to you?" she asked shocked and Rumple chuckled,

"Absolutely nothing… I've simply become a man who will be able to look after you" he explained with a soft smile and Belle looked confused,

"What?... I don't understand" she said and Rumple smirked,

"Then my dear lady…. Allow me to give you an example" he said and waved his hand and Belle's Silver Star necklace appeared around her neck and she gasped shocked and looked at him with wide eyes,

"Rumple!... You have magic!... But…. But how?" she asked shocked and Rumple smiled and walked over to Bae before waving his hand and making a teddy bear appear and Bae giggled and cuddled it after his papa handed it too him.

Gaston approached,

"What's the commotion over here?" he demanded and Rumple smirked,

"Well if it isn't my 'favourite' Sherriff" he said in a mocking tone and Belle held Bae protectively, not sure if she liked this new Rumple.

Rumple smirked at Gaston,

"You know Sherriff. It's no fun being the little guy. Having someone walk all over you" he said with an evil glint in his eye and Gaston rolled his eyes with a bored expression,

"What are you talking about coward?" he asked and Rumple glared,

"I'm going to make you regret ever calling me that" he said firmly and he waved his hand and causing Gaston to be engulfed in purple smoke and when it cleared, Gaston had been transformed into a snail. Rumple smirked and stepped towards the tiny creature and Belle turned her head away, closing her eyes tightly and she shielded Bae's view as Rumple crushed the snail under his foot. Rumple smirked evilly at the spot where the snail once slivered,

"Like I said…. It's no fun being the little guy and having someone walk all over you" he said mockingly.

* * *

When he finally turned back to Belle as she still held Bae protectively in her arms she looked at him sadly,

"Rumple… What have you done to yourself?" she asked sadly and Rumple smiled,

"I had to become a man who could take care of you…. I couldn't lose you again. I couldn't just let you leave" he explained in a gentle tone and Belle looked at him sadly,

"I never wanted this. If you didn't want me to leave Rumple then you and Bae could have just come with me and started a new life in Avonia" she said and Rumple chuckled,

"With what money dearie?... I would never have had enough money to set up a new home for me and my son in your beloved Avonia….." he said before a smirk grew on his face,

"…. And besides…. I have somewhere much better in mind than Avonia to begin a new" he said and with a click of his fingers both he, belle and Bae were engulfed in smoke and Mrs Potts eyes widened as she saw them vanish into thin air.

* * *

 **Oh dear. Has Rumple made the right choice? Where has he taken Belle and Bae?**

 **Find Out in Chapter 12! Please Review to unlock the next chapter!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	12. The Dark Castle

**Chapter 12: - The Dark Castle**

Belle gasped when they were engulfed in smoke and they reappeared inside a castle and she looked around in surprise,

"The castle I discovered in the north mountain" she said and Rumple smiled brightly and nodded,

"Yes…. You did tell me it was your favourite place so I thought what better place to start a new life. There's a huge garden and a room big enough for a nursery for your little one and Bae can have his own room" he explained and Belle shook her head,

"Rumple no….. Don't you understand?... You….." she lowered her voice so Bae wouldn't hear as he looked around the entrance hall and giggled, not fully understanding what was happening,

"You killed Gaston" she said sadly and Rumple rolled his eyes,

"He deserved it Dearie…. After the way he always used to treat you, I should have done it years ago" he said simply and Belle looked horrified and she stepped away, shaking her head with a look of fear and Rumple looked at her confused,

"Belle, What's wrong?... You can't possibly think that I would ever harm you or Bae" he said gently and Belle glanced at a door at the top of the stairs and she quickly ran for it and scooped Bae up in her arms and ran up the stairs towards the door, carrying Bae inside and she slammed the door behind her and Rumple ran after her,

"Belle?!... Belle what are you doing?! Open this door this instant!" he yelled and she gasped for breath,

"No….. I…. I never thought that you could do something that evil… and with the possibility your son might have seen….. It was a good thing I shielded his view or he might have been scarred for life!" she said angrily and Rumple sighed frustrated,

"I understand your upset Belle but please do not force me to use magic to open this door" he warned and Belle shook her head,

"Go ahead and try….. When I discovered this place on my travels I also discovered that it must have been the previous home of a sorcerer. This room is the enchanted library. There's a warning written on this side of the door telling anyone who tries to use magic upon this room will face terrible consequences. If you truly are still the man I knew, do you really want to take the chance that you might hurt me and Bae by using magic upon the door?" she warned and Rumple panicked,

"Belle please you can't stay in there. You're going to give birth in two months' time! You can't give birth alone!" he begged and she sighed sadly,

"I can't trust you…. Not after what you did to Gaston. The Rumple I knew would never have done that. I'd rather give birth to my baby alone in this library safely than come outside and face the opportunity that me and Bae might meet the same fate as Gaston" she said firmly and Rumple shook his head sadly,

"Belle please…. I would never harm you or Bae…. Please listen to me" he begged but Belle shook her head,

"No… I won't endanger Bae or my Baby" she said firmly and Rumple sighed running a hand through his hair,

"Very well Belle….. I understand that you only want to do right by my son and for that I thank you" he said softly and Belle sighed with relief when she heard him head down stairs, silently thanking heaven about the story about the library being enchanted had fooled him for now.

* * *

Belle made a little bed for Bae on the window seat with a sofa pillow and her cloak. She was thankful that she had been wearing her travel satchel that contained some fruit, fresh fudge, chocolate and milk for her journey back to Avonia.

She warmed the milk and chocolate by the fireplace and made Bae some hot chocolate to help him sleep.

* * *

Bae was too sleepy to ask questions about why they were staying in the library. His childhood mind drew up the conclusion that they were playing some kind of game of hide and seek with his papa. He soon fell asleep after drinking the hot chocolate Belle had made him.

* * *

Belle sat in a chair next to the fireplace. She worried about what Rumple had said. He was right, she was going to give birth in two months' time but for now she just wanted to make sure Bae was safe….. But she knew they couldn't stay locked up in the library forever. She soon drifted off into a very troubled sleep.

* * *

Whilst Belle and Bae slept, Rumple used magic to open the library door. Belle's enchanted library story hadn't fooled him. He could always tell when she was bluffing.

He smiled softly at his son sleeping and scooped him up into his arms gently before carrying him to his new room. He had used magic to fill it with all sorts of new toys and smiled at the thought of his son's reaction when he would wake the next morning to his new toys.

* * *

Rumple returned to the library for Belle and he lifted her sleeping form into his arms gently, as if she weighed nothing and he carried her to her new room.

He used magic to draw back the covers and he placed her on the mattress gently and placed the blanket back over her gently as she slept and he whispered,

"Sleep well Belle…." he said gently and waved his hand over her bedside table causing a vase of long stemmed red roses to appear with some bluebells mixed in with them,

"I hope you will be able to trust me again" he whispered before leaving and closed her door quietly.

* * *

 **Will Belle ever learn to trust Rumple as the dark one? Will Rumple convince Belle that he means no harm to her and Bae by the time her baby is due?**

 **Please Review and let me know what you think about Belle's lying/storytelling skills? haha :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	13. I'm Still The Same

**Chapter 13: - I'm still the same**

Belle woke the next morning to the sun shining through her new bedroom window and she sat up surprised, it was then that Rumple walked in with a breakfast tray and she jumped out of bed and backed away scared,

"Stay away from me!" she shouted,

"Where's Bae?! What have you done with him?!" she demanded and Rumple sighed, rolling his eyes as he placed the breakfast tray on her bedside table,

"Nothing. He had breakfast this morning and then he went to play in the grounds" he said simply with a gesture to the window behind her,

"Look for yourself if you don't believe me" he said and Belle glanced outside cautiously and saw Bae playing happily in the garden with a new puppy and she looked back at Rumple cautiously,

"How do I know that he's not some sort of…. Magical illusion you made in order to deceive me?" she asked firmly and Rumple sighed with frustration,

"For heavens' sake Belle…." he began and took a step forward but she backed away quickly with a look of fear and Rumple didn't take another step as he looked at her sadly,

"You truly believe that I could ever harm you?" he asked sadly and Belle gulped unsure before saying,

"I never used to believe you could hurt anyone….. But you're not you anymore. You're not the Rumple I know" she whispered sadly and Rumple looked at her sadly,

"Belle…. I swear to you I'm still the same…. I…. I took on the responsibility of dark magic that makes me a creature called 'the dark one'" he explained gently and removed the dagger from his belt which made her gasp scared but he placed it on the floor and used his magic to make it slide gently and slowly across the floor towards her,

"This dagger bears my name…. It marks me as The Dark One… And whoever holds it has full control over me. Please….. I want you to have it. If it makes you trust me again then I gladly hand it over to you willingly just…. Please give me a chance….. Give me a chance to show you that I am still the same man you remember….. I know killing Gaston was wrong of me but….. All magic comes with a price and I wanted the power that would enable me to take care of you and my son….. And that price I paid turned me into a monster but…. Please just let me show you that I haven't changed entirely" he begged gently and Belle looked at the twisted dagger that laid at her feet before looking back up at Rumple and after a moment she nodded hesitantly,

"O…. Ok…. You may attempt to prove it to me" she said cautiously and he smiled relieved and he left the room for a moment before returning with a gold straw woven bassinet and he placed it gently at the end of the bed. The inside of the bassinet was lined with plump white silk that made it cushioned all around and he looked at Belle gently as she stepped towards it hesitantly,

"I remember how you used to tell me that you didn't mind sleeping on the straw in my barn because it reminded you of gold so I used my spinning wheel last night to spin straw into gold and I wove it into this bassinet for your baby when it's born….." he explained quickly before continuing,

"I can always change the colour of the silk to blue or pink depending on what the baby is….. Or you could have it any colour you wanted" he explained gently and Belle looked at him with a soft expression,

"You…. You made this?... Just because I told you that the straw in the barn reminded me of gold?" she asked softly and Rumple nodded with a timid expression,

"It was the least I could do….. If it wasn't for you then my son would have grown up without a home….. And that's exactly what I want to do for you Belle…. I want you and your child to be safe" he said gently and Belle looked back at the bassinet before saying,

"I could be safe in Avonia" she said softly and Rumple took a gentle step towards her thankful that she didn't step away,

"But would you be happy?... Yes you may be safe there but would you be happy?" he asked gently and when she didn't respond he continued,

"I know you don't trust me but….. Please….. Just stay until your baby is born and if you still want to leave after that, I give you my word that I will return you and your child safely to Avonia" he said gently and waited for Belle to speak and after what seemed like forever she looked at him softly,

"I…. Thank you….. For the bassinet" she said gently,

"It's beautiful" she said and Rumple smiled softly,

"You're more than welcome… I'll leave you to eat breakfast in peace" he said gently before going to leave,

"Wait…." Belle called after him and he turned to find her kneeling down to pick up the dagger and she approached him slowly before handing it to him,

"The last thing I would want to do is control you… And….. I don't believe you're a monster. I just don't want you to make the wrong choices when I still see the good man I know is inside you" she said softly and Rumple smiled as he took it back gently,

"Thank you Belle" he said softly and left the room.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww How sweet is that?! Belle is the reason why he spins straw into Gold :D The sweetness is killing me!**

 **hehe I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Please Review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	14. Beauty And The Beast

**Chapter 14: - Beauty And The Beast**

Bae loved living in the castle and giggled happily as he ran into the living room where Belle was resting on a chair in front of the fireplace and she smiled happily,

"Belle?... Was the castle in Av…. Avon….." he giggled because he couldn't pronounce it properly,

"Was the castle ins your kingdom as bigs as this one?" he asked curiously and Belle smiled tiredly at him with a gentle giggle and she shook her head,

"No Bae. The castle in Avonia was very small compared to this one" she explained gently and Bae giggled and sat next to her,

"Because I lives in a castle now…. Does that makes me a prince?" he asked innocently and she smiled gently and allowed him to cuddle into her side and she brushed his hair softly,

"I guess you could say that….. But it's not the castle or the crown that makes the prince Bae" she said gently and he snuggled into her side with a little yawn,

"It's not?" he asked softly and she smiled, shaking her head gently,

"No….. It's what's inside your heart" she whispered as she brushed the hair out of his eyes gently and he smiled up at her sleepily,

"Papa saids you have a pure heart so…. Does that means you've always been a pwincess?" he asked innocently and Belle looked surprised,

"I….. Errrrmmm…. Well I…." she began but then she realised Bae had fallen asleep and she smiled softly, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead,

"Sleep well Bae… Sweet Dreams" she whispered.

* * *

Rumple returned from a deal and smiled warmly when he found his son sleeping, snuggled into Belle's side and Belle smiled gently,

"Where have you been?" she asked quietly as he leant down and kissed his sleeping son's forehead before clicking his fingers and making Bae vanish and reappear all comfortable and tucked up in his own bed,

"I was on a deal acquiring something…. I'll go and make sure he's all tucked in properly in a moment" he said gently as he sat next to her and Belle looked at him sadly,

"When you say you were acquiring 'something' you mean more magic…. Again" she sighed sadly and stood up slowly due to her very swollen belly and Rumple sighed as he helped her,

"Belle we've talked about this…. I need this power" he said firmly and Belle looked at him sadly,

"Yes we talked and yes you said exactly that the last time and I'm going to say exactly what I said last time…. You don't need magic Rumple" she said firmly and he rolled his eyes,

"You worry too much dearie" he said firmly and Belle glared at him,

"Are you really going to ignore me after what happened last time?" she asked and Rumple glared back at her before walking over to his spinning wheel,

"Milah was a completely different situation and you know it" he said firmly and Belle held up her hands in frustrated surrender,

"You know what?... Do whatever you want Rumple you always… Ahhh" she began but then winced, placing a hand to her belly and Rumple jumped up worried and went back over to her,

"Belle?... What's wrong?" he asked worried but she shook her head and took a deep breath,

"I'm fine…. The baby just kicked really hard" she explained and Rumple smiled gently and looked timid,

"May…. May I…?" he asked gesturing to her swollen belly and she rolled her eyes before smiling and she took his hand and placed it gently over her belly and after a moment of waiting Rumple smiled brightly when the small being inside Belle kicked against his hand and he looked at Belle,

"Wow….. He or she is going to be amazing…. Just like their mama" he said gently and Belle smiled softly before teasing,

"You're forgiven…. And anyway little he or she is not giving mama a moments peace" she said with a tired giggled and Rumple chuckled,

"The little lad or lass is simply restless that's all. It was the same when Milah was…" he began but then winced, looking at Belle guilty but she smiled gently,

"It's fine Rumple" she assured him gently and he thought for a moment before smiling and held out his hand,

"Come with me" he said gently and Belle smiled curiously before taking his hand and he led her gently into a huge conservatory and she looked around curiously,

"What are we doing here?" she asked confused and he smiled as he turned towards her,

"Your baby is restless because you're restless so…" he smiled teasing and held out his hand with a slight bow,

"May I have this dance my lady?" he asked and Belle couldn't help but giggle and took his hand gently,

"Yes you may kind sir" she replied teasing and he chuckled, placing one hand on her waist as he held her hand in the other and Belle smiled, placing her free hand on his shoulder as they danced slowly and Belle giggled,

"I feel silly….. There's no music" she said smiling brightly and Rumple smiled softly and shuck his head gently,

"That's not true… Whenever I'm near you…. There's music all around me Belle" he said and she smiled softly with a blush,

"If you listen carefully you can hear it" he whispered and as if by magic a soft melody started playing and Belle smiled brightly before giggling,

"You're using magic again" she teased but Rumple's soft smile didn't fade and he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek softly,

"You are the magic Belle" he whispered and she looked stunned and they both became lost in the moment as well as each other's eyes and they both leaned in at the same time and their lips softly touched but the spell was broken almost instantly and Belle suddenly pulled away with a horrified expression,

"Oh no…. What have I done?" she asked in a horrified whisper,

"I….. I've betrayed him. I…. Adam…. Oh my god what have I done?" she said to herself and Rumple felt terrible also and shook his head,

"No Belle that had nothing to do with you. I kissed you. It was my fault" he assured her but she looked at him with horrified sadness and shook her head,

"But I didn't refuse!... I kissed you back oh my….. I don't know what came over me" she said sadly and put her face in her hands and began to cry and Rumple couldn't bear to see her so upset, he knew it was no good for the baby so he did what he thought was best and looked at her with false guilt,

"…. 'I' was what came over you….. The music….. My words….. It was all magic" he lied sadly and Belle looked up at him confused as tears ran down her cheeks,

"What?... You mean….. All that….. Was just to hypnotise me?" she asked sadly and he nodded sadly, not being able to look her in the eye and she stepped away sadly,

"I've seen you do some terrible things Rumple…. Kill,… Deal to gain magic for your own personal benefit,….. Lie! But… Not for one moment did I ever imagine that you could use my own unborn child to manipulate me! And for what?! Steal a kiss from me?! What were you thinking?!" she asked angry and Rumple continued not to look at her,

"I'm sorry I just….. I care for you a great deal…. No. I love you a great deal and….. I just wanted to know what a single kiss from you might be like" he whispered sadly and Belle shook her head with wide eyes,

"Don't you dare…. Don't you dare claim that you love me in anyway Rumplestiltskin" she said firmly,

"If you love someone, you don't try to hypnotise and manipulate them" she said sadly as tears ran down her cheeks and she ran out the room. Rumple didn't have the heart to follow.

* * *

 **Don't Kill me! haha and just so people know that kiss they shared there wasn't true love's kiss it was a 'lost in the moment' kiss so that's why it didn't work.**

 **Don't worry in the next chapter everything will be explained including Belle's reaction to the kiss but if you want it quickly then you'll have to review haha *Evil Rumple Laugh***

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	15. Forbidden Memories

**Chapter 15: - Forbidden Memories**

 _*FlashBack*_

 _A Young Belle and Rumplestiltskin were playing hopscotch in the village square when Gaston approached them with a smirk, he was accompanied by three of his blond female admires who clung to his arm,_

 _"_ _Well if it isn't my favourite village bookworm and coward" he mocked and his three admirers giggled and Belle rolled her eyes, tossing the stone onto the chalk drawn hopscotch, continuing with her and Rumple's game,_

 _"_ _Go away Gaston" she said with a bored tone and he chuckled before approaching Rumple, who shied away timidly and Gaston smirked,_

 _"_ _Are you on a date with the bookworm you little coward?" he asked mocking and Rumple didn't look him in the eye as he blushed embarrassed and Gaston burst out laughing,_

 _"_ _Of course not! You probably don't even know what a date is" he mocked and his admirers laughed along with him,_

 _"_ _I bet you've never even been kissed by a girl" he said with a smirk and Rumple blushed darkly with embarrassment but Belle ran in front of him protectively and pushed Gaston away weakly with her small arms and she glared at him,_

 _"_ _You leave him alone!... I bet you've never had a last first kiss!" she said firmly and Gaston looked at her with a smirk,_

 _"_ _What on earth is a last first kiss?" he asked in a bored tone but was genuinely interested but he would never admit it. Belle smiled softly as she thought of the idea of a 'last first kiss',_

 _"_ _A last first kiss is the kiss you share with someone whom you're going to spend the rest of your life with" she explained with surprising maturity for a girl her age. Gaston's admirers instantly spoke up,_

 _"_ _Ooooooo I'll be your last first kiss Gaston!" said the first blond,_

 _"_ _Oh no please let me be your last first kiss Gaston" begged the second blond before the third blond shoved her out the way,_

 _"_ _I'd be a much better last first kisser than you!" she shouted and soon all three girls were fighting with each other._

* * *

 _It was during all the commotion and passionate yells of "He's Mine!, No He's Mine!" that Rumple and Belle were able to sneak away and Belle giggled before smiling at Rumple gently,_

 _"_ _Are you ok?" she asked gently and Rumple pouted sadly, folding his arms,_

 _"_ _Gaston's right….. I've never been kissed by a girl" he admitted sadly with an embarrassed blush and Belle looked at him sadly before thinking and she giggled before placing an innocent kiss against his cheek and Rumple's eyes widened and he blushed darkly and Belle giggled,_

 _"_ _Now you have" she said simply before giggling and tagged his shoulder,_

 _"_ _Tag you're it!" she shouted before running off giggling and little Rumple looked stunned before he shook his head, bringing himself out of his stunned state before smiling and running after her._

* * *

 _A young Belle walked home after a long day of playing tag with Rumple and she saw Gaston on her way back to her cottage and she looked at him firmly before walking over to him and put her hands on her waist,_

 _"_ _I want you to leave Rumple alone" she said firmly and he looked away from his admirers turning towards her and smirked,_

 _"_ _Awwwwwwww… Did you hear that girls? The bookworm wants me to leave her little coward friend alone" he said in a mocking tone and his three blond admirers giggled but then gasped when Gaston fell backwards stunned due to the fact that Belle had punched him in the face whilst he had been laughing and Belle glared at him,_

 _"_ _Don't call him that!... There's only one coward in this village and it's not Rumple….. It's you!" she said firmly before turning and walking towards her house when Gaston stood with a glare,_

 _"_ _Because of what you've just done the little cowards done for tomorrow!" he warned and Belle glared before turning around and ran at him and kicked him right in the place that made him a man and he fell to the ground, winded and Belle glared at him,_

 _"_ _I'll never let you hurt him!" she shouted before running into her cottage and when she slammed the door she heard Gaston yelling,_

 _"_ _I know you like him but he could never fancy someone as weird as you!" he yelled and a young Belle closed her eyes sadly._

* * *

*Present Day*

A grown up Belle opened her eyes sadly. She thought of the small crush she had once had on Rumple when they were children but things had changed. He had loved Milah….. Not her and she had loved Adam….. Not him.

She sighed sadly and put her face in her hands. She knew Rumple had used no magic upon her to enact that kiss between them. She had taken her anger out on him because she was angry at herself because she knew the truth…. She had kissed Rumple because she wanted to kiss him. She had betrayed Adam and she hated herself for it. Belle laid back on her bed and she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

* * *

 _~ *Dream* ~_

 _"_ _Belle… Belle….. Wake up Belle" whispered a voice and Belle stirred finding herself in a flowery meadow and she sat up stunned,_

 _"_ _Wh….. What?... Where am I?" she asked confused and she heard that voice again,_

 _"_ _You're in the dream world Belle" she turned to find Adam standing behind her and she gasped,_

 _"_ _Adam….." she stood and ran into his arms and she hugged him tightly and he hugged her back,_

 _"_ _I've missed you so much" she whispered and her husband smiled at her,_

 _"_ _I know you have my darling Belle….. I sensed how troubled you were so I just had to visit you" he explained and Belle looked down sadly and allowed a tear to fall,_

 _"_ _I'm so sorry Adam….. I betrayed you….. I kissed Rumple" she confessed but Adam smiled softly and nodded,_

 _"_ _I know Belle….. But you're not upset and angry because you kissed him whilst you were still in mourning" he said gently and she looked at him with tears in her eyes and she shook her head and he smiled gently, wiping away her tears,_

 _"_ _You're upset and angry because you don't regret kissing him" he confirmed and Belle nodded as she hugged him softly and he held her,_

 _"_ _My beloved Belle… So kind and always thinking of others. Never thinking of herself. Be honest with yourself my darling… A small part of you has always loved him and that small part has started to grow" he said softly and she rested her head gently on his chest,_

 _"_ _I will always love you Belle….. You were my last first kiss but it's time for you to go and find your own. Let him in Belle. Save him from what he has become before it's too late" he said softly and Belle nodded before looking up at him,_

 _"_ _I will always love you Adam" she whispered and he nodded with a smile,_

 _"_ _Take care of our baby, Belle…. I will always watch over you both. Give yourself a chance to be happy again. Find your own happy ending" he whispered and everything around them began to glow brightly and he smiled softly at her,_

 _"_ _I release you Belle" he whispered before everything around them was entirely engulfed in light._

* * *

Belle woke up with a start and she thought for a moment before looking down at the wedding ring on her finger and she smiled softly,

"Thank you Adam" she whispered.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww Adam released Belle but will she allow her feelings for Rumple to blossom?**

 **Find out in the next chapter! Review in order to unlock the next chapter!**

 **I'm loving all the positive reactions to this story I'm so glad you all like it! :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	16. A Star Is Born

**Chapter 16: - A Star Is Born**

Belle came downstairs and entered the parlour,

"Rumple?..." she called out but he didn't respond, he wasn't at his usual place at his spinning wheel so she tried the drawing room. She found Bae playing with his teddy bear and she smiled softly,

"Bae do you know where your papa is?" she asked gently and Bae smiled, nodding,

"He wents to the village at the bottoms of the mountain. He saids it was work" Bae said innocently and Belle nodded,

"Oh I see. Well I guess I'll just have to speak with him when he…. Ahhhh" Belle suddenly hunched over in pain and placed a hand over her swollen belly and Bae looked up at her worried,

"What's the matter Belle? Does you haves a poorly tummy?" he asked innocently and Belle winced in pain,

"I'm alright Bae…. It will pass…. Ahhhh….." she cried out and shook her head quickly and sat down on the floor slowly, using the table to help her for balance,

"No….. No it's not" she confirmed and she looked at Bae gently,

"Bae I need you to do something for me….. I need you to go and get your papa" she said as she winced again in pain and Bae looked worried,

"Why?" he asked innocently and Belle knew he didn't understand what was happening,

"I…. I need you to tell him….. That the star is shining and it's shining brightly" she explained gently.

Belle and Rumple had come up with the code word for when the baby was about to arrive in the early days they had started living in the dark castle because they both knew Bae would not understand the whole process of Belle having a baby so they both thought a code word was the best option.

Belle took a deep breath and winced again, closing her eyes tightly,

"Please Bae you have to hurry this is very important" she begged and Bae nodded quickly before handing her his teddy bear,

"Ok…. Mr. Teddy wills protect you while I'm gones" he said innocently and ran out the door.

Belle couldn't help but smile softly at Bae's innocent gesture before she winced in pain again.

* * *

Bae ran all the way down the mountain path towards the village. He smiled brightly when he saw his papa leaving the apothecary,

"Papa!" he shouted as he ran up to him and Rumple's eyes widened,

"Bae?!... What on earth are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to leave the castle alone" he said firmly and Bae just jumped up and down on the spot,

"But papa I has to tells you abouts the stars" he said with a giggle and Rumple looked confused,

"Stars?... What stars? Bae it's the middle of the day" Rumple said confused and Bae giggled,

"Belle tolds me to come and finds you and say….. Errrrr….. She saids to say…. The stars are shiny!" he said with a giggle and Rumple looked even more confused and thought to himself,

"The stars are shiny?" he said to himself before he went very pale,

"Oh no… Bae did she say "The stars are shining"?" he asked and Bae nodded,

"And they're shining brightly!" he said with a happy giggle and Rumple panicked,

"Oh my god the baby's coming!" he said and Bae looked confused but before her could ask his papa had scooped him up into his arms and they both vanished in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Rumple and Bae both reappeared in the entrance hall and Rumple put him down gently,

"Where's Belle Bae?" he asked gently and Bae pointed,

"Ins the Dwawing room" he said innocently and Rumple nodded,

"Ok Bae I need you to go to your room for a little while and don't come out until I come and get you" he said gently and Bae nodded before running upstairs. Rumple silently thanked that the walls in this castle were solid and so his son wouldn't be able to hear the sounds of Belle's baby being born.

* * *

Rumple rushed into the drawing room,

"Belle!" he said and was instantly at her side and Belle smiled relieved,

"Rumple…. I was so terrified… I thought I was gonna have to do this alone" she said as she took deep breaths and Rumple shook his head as he held her hand in his,

"No Belle you're not alone. I'm here" he said soothingly and Belle nodded with a wince and looked at him,

"I'm glad…." She said softly before crying out in pain and Rumple quickly waved his hand causing a blanket to appear and he held her hand in his and looked at her reassuringly,

"It's ok Belle I'm right here." He said firmly and she nodded,

"I'm not going anywhere" he assured her, he used his magic to ease the pain a little.

* * *

It took a whole hour but Belle let out a sigh of relief when she heard her baby cry for the first time and she smiled relieved,

"Oh thank heaven" she whispered and Rumple smiled brightly as he wrapped the crying new born into a blanket and he smiled at Belle,

"Say hello to your daughter Belle" he said softly as he placed the tiny baby into her arms and Belle let happy tears fall,

"My daughter….. I have a daughter….." she smiled at Rumple before looking back the little baby girl in her arms,

"She's beautiful" she said and Rumple nodded,

"Just like her mama" he said softly and she smiled gently as he waved his hand causing them to appear in Belle's room and he smiled,

"I'll be right back. I'll just go and get Bae he said and turned to leave but Belle grasped his hand and pulled him back gently and placed a gentle kiss on his lips and he looked at her stunned and she blushed,

"I….. I know you didn't use magic on me" she whispered,

"I…. I kissed you back the other night because I wanted to kiss you and…. I know Adam would want me and little Maria to be happy" she said gently and Rumple's eyes widened as he glanced at the baby and back at her,

"Maria?... You're naming her after my mother?" he asked stunned and she nodded gently,

"I hope you don't mind but I just…." Before she could finish he cupped both her cheeks and kissed her softly before whispering,

"You have no idea how much I love you Belle" he whispered softly and she smiled gently with a blush,

"Well….. It's a good thing because… I've come to realise that a part of me has always loved you" she said gently and Rumple smiled brightly, tears in his eyes but she wiped them away,

"We'll talk later" she promised and he nodded, placing a kiss to her forehead and he left to fetch his son.

* * *

Belle smiled at the little miracle in her arms,

"Hello Maria…. I'm your mama" she whispered softly.

* * *

Rumple walked towards Bae's room with a bright smile on his face and as he passed a mirror hanging on the wall he saw the golden scales on his face fade away and he smiled even brighter.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww little Baby Maria :D hehe**

 **Please review to let me know what you think and unlock the next chapter quicker hehe :D**

 **Lots of cuteness coming up in the next chapter hehe :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	17. Motherhood

**Chapter 17: - Motherhood**

Belle had been overjoyed when Rumple returned with Bae to meet baby Maria and she gasped in surprise,

"Rumple?... What?... How?" she asked stunned not being able to find the right words and Rumple smiled with a chuckle as he carried Bae over and sat beside her and pressed a kiss to her cheek,

"I told you that you were magic Belle. You saved me…. Again. You broke my curse" he explained and Belle smiled brightly and kissed him gently to which he happily returned. Rumple had already explained to Bae and he had been very happy, secretly loving the idea that Belle might soon be his new mama.

* * *

Bae looked at the Baby sleeping in Belle's arms and he looked at her confused and Belle smiled softly,

"This is Maria, Bae. My baby girl" she explained gently and Bae looked back at the sleeping baby. He pouted to himself secretly feeling like he'd lost a mama for the second time.

* * *

Belle smiled softly down at baby Maria as she laid in the golden straw woven bassinet that Rumple had made. Little Maria gurgled as she looked up at her mother with big blue eyes filled with curiosity and Belle giggled softly,

"Who's my little flower?" she cooed and Maria let out another gurgle in response and Belle smiled before lifting her gently into her arms and cradled her,

"Oh little one you are going to be the most beloved little girl in the whole world. Yes you are" she cooed with a gentle giggle and smiled when she sensed someone spying on her and she turned to find Bae standing in the doorway with a bashful expression as he held the arm of his teddy bear in his tiny hand and Belle smiled softly before placing Maria back in her bassinet and she turned back towards Bae and knelt down on the floor and she held her arms out towards him,

"…. And there's a certain someone is going to be the most beloved little boy in the world" she said softly and a bright smile grew on Bae's face and he ran towards her quickly and hugged her tightly and Belle smiled brightly as she held him,

"Did you really think that I could ever love you any less Bae?" she asked softly and Bae smiled up at her,

"You wuvs me?" he asked innocently and Belle smiled softly with a nod,

"Yes I do" she said gently and Bae smiled,

"Pwomise?" he said innocently and Belle giggled,

"I promise" she said softly and Bae smiled,

"Cross your heart?" he asked and she giggled before brushing two imaginary lines across her heart,

"Cross my heart" she said and then placed a gentle kiss to his forehead and he hugged her again and snuggled his head into her shoulder and whispered,

"I wuv you too Mama Belle" he said innocently and Belle looked down at him surprised,

"I… Thank you Bae" she whispered softly as she held him gently and brushed her hand through his hair softly.

* * *

Outside the room, Rumplestiltskin lent against the door, secretly listening with a smile on his face and a tear of happiness fell down his cheek.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwwww how cute is Bae? hehe :D**

 **I loved writing this chapter.**

 **Please Review to unlock the next chapter!**

 **Next Time on 'A Thousand Years':**

 **Belle sends word to Avonia but what news is she sending them exactly?**

 **Rumple asks Belle on a date for the very first time.**

 **Please Review to let me know what you think :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	18. What Should Have Been

**Chapter 18: - What should Have Been**

Rumple felt very nervous as he approached Belle's bedchamber and he took a deep breath before knocking on her door gently before hearing Belle's gentle voice from beyond the door,

"Come in" Rumple smiled and opened the door gently and Belle smiled softly at him,

"It's ok she just drifted off" she explained, gesturing to a sleeping Maria in her bassinet and Rumple smiled looking at the tiny baby and looked at Belle,

"She's strong just like her mother" he said gently and Belle smiled softly looking at her daughter,

"I was so scared….. She was born a month early and she was so tiny" she whispered gently and Rumple wrapped his arms around her gently and hugged her,

"I recall another certain little girl who was very small and yet she was the strongest girl I know and still remains to be so to do this day" he complimented and Belle smiled gently, resting her head on his shoulder,

"I doubt this girl was as strong as you say" she said gently and Rumple chuckled and shook his head,

"You're right…. She was stronger. She punched an evil future Sherriff square in the face just because he insulted me…. The next day I saw him his nose was wrapped in a bandage because it turned out she'd actually broken his nose" he said with a teasing look and Belle giggled,

"Now that was an accident because I never intended to break his nose….. Not that I regret that I did" she smiled and they both laughed before Rumple smiled softly,

"I made a lot of mistakes back then when we were young" he said with a sad smile,

"I fell for Milah's charm and beauty when there was someone even more charming and beautiful by my side….. I pushed you away when I should have held you close… I shared my first kiss with Milah when in truth I should have shared it with you." He whispered gently and caressed her cheek softly,

"There is only one thing I don't regret about Milah and that is Bae. Milah didn't just abandon me she abandoned Bae and for a long time I feared that the sting left by her action would haunt Bae forever….. But he's found a new motherly figure in you Belle and I am so grateful to you for that" he whispered and Belle smiled softly,

"In the months I've known that little boy, I've come to love him as my very own" she said softly,

"And as for Milah….. Well she was a fool for giving up the position of mother to such a wonderful little boy like Bae…. And the position as wife to a wonderful devoted husband as you Rumple" she said gently and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek and he smiled, closing his eyes softly, placing his hand over hers and he turned his head, placing a gentle kiss to her palm,

"You are so pure hearted Belle….." he whispered,

"You still forgive me even after everything….. After all that I've done, why haven't you given up on me?" he asked in a whisper and Belle smiled looking into his eyes,

"I learnt a very long time ago that when you find something that's worth fighting for….. You never give up. I made that mistake once when I allowed you to push me away but never again…." She whispered,

"I love you Rumplestiltskin." She said with a gentle smile and he rested his forehead against hers with a smile,

"I love you too Belle…. Would…. Would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner tonight?" he asked timidly in a whisper and Belle smiled softly,

"I would be honoured" she whispered gently as he gently brushed his nose against hers with his own and she giggled before they both shared a gentle kiss.

* * *

Belle had finished writing a letter to the royal court of Avonia and sealed it with wax and a rose seal. She smiled at the sealed envelope gently before standing and going to meet Rumple but she turned at the last moment and walked back over to her dressing table and she picked up the silver star necklace and clasped it around her neck gently and she smiled,

"That's better" she said to herself softly before picking up the sealed envelope once more and went to go and meet Rumple.

* * *

Rumple's eyes widened when he saw Belle enter the dining room,

"Wow…. You look beautiful Belle" he said mesmerised and she giggle softly,

"I look the same as I always do" she said and Rumple smiled brightly,

"Then that means you're always stunningly beautiful" he teased and she blushed,

"Thank you Rumple" she said gently and he smiled, pulling a chair out for her at the table and she sat down with a smile and Rumple took a seat next to her,

"Bae jumped at the chance to build a den in his room and take his dinner in there" he said with a chuckle and Belle giggled,

"You didn't have to ask him to do that….. He could have eaten with us, I wouldn't have minded" she said softly and Rumple chuckled,

"It was his idea" he said and Belle giggled before smiling softly,

"He's a sweet boy….. You raised him well" she said softly and Rumple smiled,

"Thank you Belle" he said gently and held his hand out in front of him with a look of concentration on his face and waved it and sighed in frustration when nothing happened and Belle sighed. She knew Rumple was still trying to harness the separate power he had gained after becoming the dark one and ever since his curse had been broken he had been trying to learn how to use the power properly but he was still struggling. She placed her hand over his gently and smiled softly,

"Hey….. I believe in you. You can do it…. Try again" she encouraged and he smiled brightly before waving his hand and caused two dinner plates to appear and they both smiled brightly, Belle looked at him,

"See?... You just needed to believe in yourself" she said gently and Rumple smiled as he held her hand,

"I never truly needed the power of the dark one did I?... I always had the magic of your belief in me… You were and still are the only magic I ever did and ever will need" he said softly before waving his free hand and made a red rose appear and she smiled brightly with a giggle and he smiled, handing it out to her,

"Here….. If you'll have it" he said with a smile and she giggled taking it gently,

"Why thank you" she said softly, lifting the bloom to her nose and inhaling its sweet fragrance.

* * *

It was then that Rumple noticed the envelope that sat on the table next to Belle and he looked curious,

"You're sending a letter?" he asked curious and she smiled before nodded,

"Yes, I'm sending word to Avonia of Maria's birth" she explained gently and Rumple's smile soon turned to a sad frown,

"Oh yes…. Now that Maria's born I guess you wish to make plans to return" he said sadly but Belle smiled softly and placed a hand on his cheek, turning his face to look at her gently,

"You would think that but….. My letter tells the royal court that I feel it would be best for the kingdom if I did not take the position as queen….. With Adam by my side he would have been able to help with my decisions but…. I do not have the experience" she explained gently and Rumple looked at her surprised,

"My letter tells the royal court to elect a new ruler they deem worthy….. Plus….. I could never return to Avonia because if I were too…. I would be leaving my heart behind here" she whispered softly and Rumple looked stunned,

"Belle….. Are you saying that….. That you want to stay?" he asked stunned and she smiled softly with a blush,

"Only if that's ok with you" she said gently and he smiled brightly and stood before wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tightly,

"Of course I want you to stay" he said happily and Belle smiled brightly as she hugged him back.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwwww how sweet are Rumple and Belle? hehe I Love RumBelle! :D**

 **Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	19. Taking The Next Step

**Chapter 19: – Taking The Next Step**

For the next year. Belle, Rumple Bae and little Maria lived happily. Bae loved having Belle as a mother and also baby Maria as a little sister. Rumple was simply happy that he had discovered what many people do not. That true magic is the loved ones around you. The people who stay beside you no matter what.

* * *

Rumple's love for Belle grew stronger every day. Just as his friendship had grown when they were children. He'd lost her once and he silently vowed to himself that he would never lose her again.

* * *

Belle smiled brightly as she supported a year old Maria and Rumple smiled, holding out his arms towards her,

"Come on Maria…Come to me" he encouraged gently and Maria let out a giggle before taking a hesitant, weak step forward and he smiled brightly,

"That's it dearie…. Come on you can do it" he said gently and Belle smiled brightly as baby Maria took three more quick steps and fell forward into Rumple's arms and he lifted her up, smiling brightly,

"That's my special girl" he praised and Bae giggled as he cheered for his baby sister and he hugged his papa's side,

"Yay! She did it! She did it" he chanted excitedly and Rumple chuckled as he held little Maria in one arm carefully and wrapped his free arm around Bae's shoulder gently.

Belle smiled softly at the sight of her daughter and recently adopted son in Rumple's arms.

Rumple looked up from Maria and Bae and smiled at Belle. The last year of their courtship had been the happiest year of his life. He smiled brightly and winked at Bae who giggled knowingly as his papa cradled baby Maria in both arms and he took a step towards Belle,

"Today Maria took her first steps and I am honoured to have been present….. But now I wish to take a big step as my own…" he whispered before placing Maria in her bassinet and he knelt down on one knee in front of Belle and she gasped,

"The next step I take….. I want to take as your Fiancé….. If you'll have me" he whispered,

"I think I loved you from the moment I met you Belle….. I'm just so sorry that it took losing you to make me realise" he said gently,

"I swear to you that if you accept me I will spend every day trying to make you happy and I swear I will try to be the best father I can to little Maria, I already love her as if she were my very own…. And I love you just as much and I will never stop loving you… Will you marry me Belle?" he asked softly and Belle smiled brightly as a tear of happiness fell down her cheek and after a moment she nodded,

"Yes…." She whispered,

"Yes of course I'll marry you" she whispered and Rumple's eyes widened as he smiled brightly,

"Really?!" he asked and she giggled as tears of happiness fell down her cheeks,

"Yes now will you take that next step you said you wanted to take already Rumplestiltskin!" she said teasingly and he laughed and stood taking the last step towards her and wrapped her in his arms and they both kissed passionately. Bae giggled and covered his eyes and when Belle and Rumple drew back they giggled and smiled at Bae and Belle held out her arm,

"Come here you" she said softly and Bae smiled brightly and ran into the arms of his mama and papa and hugged them both tightly. Rumple pulled away only to pick a gurgling Maria up and brought her into the family cuddle.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

 **Awwwwwwww How sweet and Romantic is Rumple? :D**

 **I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 19**

 **Please review and let me know what you think It will help unlock the Final Chapter!**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	20. A Whole New World

**Chapter 20: - A whole New World**

Rumple and Belle's wedding had been magical. They had the ceremony in front of the fountain in the village where they first met as children. Bae had been the ring bearer and Mrs Potts had carried little Maria who had the role as flower girl. Rumple had used his magic to form a silver wedding ring for Belle engraved with rose vines around the edge. It was a symbol of their friendship, their marriage and their undying love for each other.

* * *

Rumple smiled softly as he watched his beloved wife sleep. She must have sensed him watching because she smiled gently before opening one eye,

"You're doing it again" she said teasing and he smiled with a chuckle, brushing hair out her eyes as he lay next to her,

"Doing what?" he asked happily and she smiled,

"Watching me sleep trying to convince yourself I'm truly here" she stated simply and he chuckled, placing a kiss to her forehead,

"Can you blame me? I'm married to the woman of my dreams…. I'm still finding it hard to believe that you're finally mine" he whispered softly as they shared a soft kiss before they both heard little Maria start to cry and Bae shouted,

"Mama?!" Belle let out a giggle and Rumple pouted childishly as his wife pressed a kiss to his cheek,

"Technically you share me" she teased before getting out of bed and putting on her dressing gown and smiled at him softly,

"I love you" she whispered and he smiled,

"I love you too" he said gently as she left the room….. It wasn't long till he followed.

* * *

Belle sat with Rumple and Bae in the living room as she cradled Maria and rocked her gently as she started to drift off to sleep in her mother's arms when there was a knock at the door and she looked at Rumple confused,

"That's funny… We never get visitors" she said curiously and Rumple smiled softly, standing and placed a kiss on his wife's forehead,

"It's probably just Mrs Potts" he reassured her before going to answer the door.

When Rumple opened the door he was surprised to find Zoso standing there,

"You?... What are you doing here?" he asked confused and Zoso smiled brightly,

"I sensed your curse had been broken so I decided to pay you a visit…. By now you should be married to the lovely lady Belle, am I correct?" he asked and Rumple smiled surprised and nodded,

"Yes we are…. Thank you….. I realise you only gave me that dagger because you wanted to help me" he said gently and Zoso nodded,

"I know how to recognise a desperate soul but now everything is well I shall take the dagger back" he said gently and Rumple nodded,

"Of course" he said before waving his hand made the dagger appear and handed it to Zoso and he smiled,

"Thank you Rumplstiltskin…. You will never know how grateful I am for you returning this to me" he said with a smile and vanished in a cloud of smoke and Rumple closed the door gently.

Belle walked into the entrance hall, carrying little Maria just as Rumple was closing the door,

"Who was it?" she asked gently and Rumple turned and looked at her with a soft smile,

"The past" he whispered gently.

* * *

Zoso reappeared in his lair that was inside a cave many miles away from the dark castle. He smirked as he looked at the twisted dagger in his hand,

"Oh yes Rumplestiltskin…. You will never know how grateful I am to you….. In fact you won't even remember…. Nobody will" he said evilly and he waved the dagger over an empty clear flash and suddenly it was full to the brim with glowing purple magic and Zoso smirked as he sealed it with a cork and he lifted it to his eye level,

"The essence of a dark one who fought the darkness and won… The essence of a dark one who allowed love into his heart" he said to himself with a smirk,

"Oh yes Rumplestiltskin…. Thank you very much for giving me the key to creating a whole new world in which I will be the only one who carries magic… A world where I shall be all powerful and I will rule over it eternally and 'No one' will stand in my way!" he said firmly.

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN So Zoso had a plan all along! PLOT TWIST haha! :D**

 **What is Zoso up too? Find out in the sequel! 'I'll Love You For A Thousand More'**

 **hehe So Review and tell me what you think! Shall I continue and Post a sequel?**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	21. SEQUEL IS UP!

THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY IS NOW UP! PLEASE REVIEW SO THAT I MAY UPDATE THE STORY QUICKER AND IMPROVE THE STORY AS IT GOES ALONG!

Kind Regards,

TheAuthor1996


	22. Once Upon A Fan Award Nominations

**Hello everyone,**

 **I was hoping you can all help me out and nominate me for a Once Upon A Fan Award for Best Fanfiction.**

 **All You have to do is email:**

editor -at symbol- once upon a fans . com **(NO SPACES)**

 **With the subject:**  
 **OUAF Nominations**

 **For the award category:**  
 **Best Fan Fiction (Age 7-16)**  
 **Best Fan Fiction (Adult Category)**

 **It would mean the world to me if you can all help me out.**

 **all information is in the link below:**

news/4th-annual-once-upon-a-fan-awards-fan-category-nominations-now-open

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


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